Heather Welford Neil writes:
<<I agree - why women wean would be fascinating.
 Wish we had figures for later and later. >>

This is the major missing link, as far as I am concerned.  Common sense (and
some research) indicates that it is the withdrawal of social support (negative
comments about the age of the child nursing, etc.) as well as tv/media images
which indicate that nursing is a behavior appropriate for tiny babies.  Kathy
Dettwyler has done some work on the advertising images of breastfeeding
(almost all put out by formula companies, surprise surprise) showing almost
inevitably a woman in a nightgown or robe (indicating early postpartum removal
from society at large--confinement) nursing a newborn.  Let's face it, the
constant barrage of media's definition of "culture" does make a huge impact on
most people, young girls and women of childbearing age included. The really
subversive thing about these images, according to Dr. dettwyler, is the
surprising and odd lack of wedding rings in almost all of the bimages of bf
moms put out by the formula companies... and the right hand is almost always
exposed, too.  Coincidence? Consider this: the formula feeding moms in the
formula company ads all have wedding rings on! Dr. Dettwyler does an excellent
job of presenting this info.

How about this for an idea...because it is SO radical a departure from
mainstream parenting, perhaps those of us who nurse for normal human
durations, and parent in the ways that go along easily and naturally with bf
(what we generally consider attachment parenting) are part of a big subculture
that defines/maintains itself through discussion groups like this in which we
use a common jargon (LLL is also an example), support our non-mainstream
decisions with references to the research that backs us up, take offensive
positions against the "therapies" the world uses to try to bring us back to
the fold (media images of bottle feeding as the norm--as in the pic of bottle
fed baby on the ADA page, which we actually managed to influence).

If this is in any way the case, there should be commonalities between people
who are more likely to be involved in a subculture in general, and mothers who
wean later, especially those mothers who have experiences with weaning like
many of us here have had--either child-led, cessation due to pregnancy,
etc--factors beyond the scope of society's pressure.  Some factors to
consider:  intelligence level (those with higher IQs are more likely to be
involved in subcultures) emotional health, a belief system in which personal
freedom, intimate connections, and non-conformity when the norm is
inefficacious, are all accepted (by the subculture, which is as sustaining to
our beliefs and actions as the common pap available to the masses is to, well,
the masses) as good and proper.

Fervently readying myself for full throttle field research,

Joy

Mailto:[log in to unmask]
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Joy Berry-Parks
LLL, Central Arkansas
Attachment Parenting Group of AR
Anthropology Apprentice
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"Childhood Decides."---Jean Paul Sartre
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