Ruthy: Having slept with my kids for about 7 years and finding them in all
sorts of strange places in the morning -- even when tiny babies -- I have
always been sort of amused at the warnings about the "dangers" of sleeping
together.

I have suspected for a long time that "overlying" is probably infanticide --
whether conscious or subconscious.  Getting tangled up in her long hair --
If the baby got tangled up -- then the baby's father got tangled up as well
and so must have the mother herself-- so if she didn't want to strangle
anyone, she could have tied her hair back...

Many years ago, Marvin Harris, the anthropologist, did an interesting
reflective piece about the Sacred Cow in India.  I won't go into the details
now -- but as I became more involved in the public health aspects of
breastfeeding, I was always struck by one thing that he wrote and that was
that if an Indian farmer wanted to kill a cow -- he did it through "neglect"
(not letting it nurse--if a calf- or graze long enough) and no one could
blame him for violating the taboo!

Sometimes I wonder how much "overlying" as well as bottle feeding in the
Third World has some of this involved.  Anyone have any thoughts on the matter?
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"The future is not some place we are going to, but one we are
 creating.  The paths are not to be found, but made, and the
 activity of making them changes both the maker and the
 destination."  Attributed to John Schaar, University of California.

 Judy Canahuati
 email: [log in to unmask]
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