In a message dated 96-12-13 10:33:49 EST, Jan write:

> Guess my question is, given that all mammals nurse their young, why do we
>  picture ourselves as cows?  (Why not goats?  At least we both have kids!)
>
Hi All,
I think I may have an idea about this.  We only drink the milk of one animal
(other than those of us fortunate to get human milk) the Cow.  Ok, some of us
do get Goats milk, but in many parts of the country that is considiered as
odd as drinking human milk.  (Oooh the looks I get when I ask someone if they
have ever tried goats milk! You know, those :P :O faces of disgust!)  The
most common form of "Milk" is from our beloved Bovine.  So, of course, (Why
"of course"???) the first thing people think of to equate a woman BF with is
a cow.  Well, add to that the electric pumps and all, (equate that with the
cows standing in their stalls being milk mechanically instead of by hand) and
now you really have people feeling like "Cows".  The biggest problem for me,
is that BF is not like a cow nursing her calf at all, simply because as soon
as the majority of calves get their colostrom they are taken away from mom,
and are fed by bottle with calf formula!!!  (At least here in the states)  I
am sorry, but I'd honestly have to say that those who are bottle feeding ABM
are more like cows than those of us who BF.
I like Jan's anallogy to being more like a Bear.  Anyone hurts or mistreats
my kids in any way and they had better watch out (My family knows this from
experience!).   I also think that those of us who BF are more like the Feline
and Canine because we bear young who are totally dependent on us for a time,
and if we don't nurse/feed them, and take care of their every need, they will
die.  The only true BF I ever saw as a kid were cats, dogs and other animals!
When a mom tells me that she feels like a "Cow" when BF, I make sure to tell
her that she is certainly not standing in a stall with a machine taking her
milk whilst her baby is being fed formula by someone from another species!
  And that her milk is the best thing for her baby not cows milk.

Take care all!

Jay