1,645. Which Women are Obligated to Nurse?

Hilchos Ishus 21:12

If a woman gives birth to twins, she is not obligated to nurse them both. Rather, she is obligated to nurse one and her husband must hire a nursemaid for the other. If a woman wants to nurse another woman’s child along with her own, her husband may object and limit her to nursing only her own child.

Hilchos Ishus 21:13

Even if a woman takes a vow not to nurse her child, she can be compelled to do so until the child is 24 months old. This is true whether the child is a boy or a girl. If a woman wants to nurse her child but her husband objects on the grounds that it will make her less attractive, the decision is hers because it’s painful for a woman to separate herself from her child. This is the case even if she has several maids.