LACTNET Archives

Lactation Information and Discussion

LACTNET@COMMUNITY.LSOFT.COM

Options: Use Forum View

Use Monospaced Font
Show Text Part by Default
Show All Mail Headers

Message: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Topic: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Author: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]

Print Reply
Subject:
From:
Katherine Dettwyler <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Lactation Information and Discussion <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Tue, 3 Jul 2001 08:24:14 -0400
Content-Type:
text/plain
Parts/Attachments:
text/plain (64 lines)
I agree with the writer who said all human behaviors are affected by
culture.  As bipedal hominids, we've had some type of culture for 2.5
million years, and even the chimpanzees have culture.  But some cultural
beliefs/practices are closer to our natural primate biological and
physiological heritage, and others are farther away.  Solitary crib sleeping
is farther away from what we have evolved (or were designed) to expect.
Formula is farther away than breastfeeding, and breastfeeding for only 1
year is farther away than breastfeeding for two years.  Riding in cars is
farther away than walking, and a diet high in animal protein and fat and
focused on only a few plants is farther away than a mostly vegetarian diet
with lots of variety, and so forth.

I think it is useful for people to understand what the probable range of
variation is for 'natural' durations of breastfeeding -- and then let them
decide for themselves what they want to do with that information.  They
should understand how cultural beliefs in the West have made one year seem
like a really long time to nurse, and that this cultural belief is pretty
far from the 'natural' duration.  As opposed to teaching them that Western
cultural beliefs are 'natural'.  Certainly In Mali, where most of the
children are weaned pretty abruptly at age 2, they have cultural beliefs
shaping their behavior just as people in the US do -- but at least they are
a lot closer to the 'natural' age of weaning than the mom in the US who
weans at 6 months because she's read that babies will 'naturally lose
interest in nursing at about 6 months.'

Re the comment about two people being in a relationship -- it is frequently
the case, even with two adults, that both people do not have equal power in
the relationship.  Certainly with a six month old baby whose mother stops
breastfeeding her, the baby has no say in the matter.  Oh, she may complain
by crying and fretting and being sad, but her mother pays no attention to
her.  So she doesn't have an equal say.  Even with a 5 year old, if the
weaning is mother-led, the child may not have an equal say.  I weaned two of
my children, one at 4 years, and one at 5.5 years -- neither of those were
'child-led' weanings, and both were over the protests of the child, with
more protests from the 5.5 year old than from the 4 year old.

All mammal babies wean or 'are weaned' eventually, and usually it involves
both loss of interest by the offspring and active pushing by the mother.
There's a lot of intriguing literature about weaning among non-human
animals.  We need to be careful about what our goal is in writing various
guidelines for mothers about weaning their children.  Do we want the goal to
be that every child be allowed to nurse 'as long as they want'?  What if
this is beyond when the mother wants?  Do we want every child to be nursed
for 7 years?  For 2 years?  For one year?  Do we want mothers to think that
their feelings/wishes shouldn't carry any weight?  I'm not offering any
answers, just saying that we need to think long and hard about what the goal
is.

Kathy Dettwyler






_________________________________________________________________
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com

             ***********************************************
The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM)
mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html

ATOM RSS1 RSS2