At one conference I went to, the speaker told us how it is not "normal"
for humans or other primates to tandem nurse our young...this based on
the fact that a) if nursing frequency is similar to that of
hunter-gatherers that we were for thousands and thousands of years,
generally fertility doesn't come back until the child is weaned, or in
the process of weaning and liable to finnish up before the arrival of
the next baby and also b) that in many cases up until recently, a
pregnancy too early on in the nursling's life would essentially cut off
its source of food and immunities, making it much more likely for that
child to sicken and die.

OK, I get all that part, but I have a question...I have heard about how
if you nurse an older child off one breast and a younger one off the
other breast, the body eventually makes the difference between the 2
breasts (i.e. perhaps by the number of times suckled in the day, and/or
the force of suction, older being different from newborn...etc.), and
will produce more "weaning-type" milk for the older child and younger
milk for the younger baby.  If our bodies are able to do this, then why
would it not be normal to at least be able to, in perhaps rare
circumstances, nurse children of more than one age?  I realize that we
*are* able to, but I mean from a survival point of view, one from times
long ago before we could safely see a child of say under 1 weaned
essentially during pregnancy when so little milk is produced?

Is there absolutely no recorded sighting ever of another primate nursing
young offspring of 2 different ages?  I guess i have a hard time
believeing that this NEVER happened, though I am willing to believe that
it didn't happen often, especially if we talk about humans of other
cultures who might have cultural beliefs that they couldn't nurse 2 of
different ages...

Thanks!

Fio
ressource person with Allaitement Québec
Mama to Sandrine, 31 mos, and #2, 11/2002

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