Culture and Feeding Your Baby
How do our cultural influences impact our infant feeding practices, perceptions, and behaviors? Many of us don’t give a second thought to the messages we are told about when, how and why we feed our babies the way we do. There are different categories of mammal based on their intake needs. Animals like rabbits and deer are called Cache Mammals. This is because these animals leave their babes for many hours at a time (up to 12), coming back to feed them then. The make-up of their milk reflects this with higher levels of fat and protein. They are also born the most mature. The next category is called Follow Mammals. These would be your cows and giraffes. These babes are still quite mature at birth, they are able to follow their moms around and feed more frequently than those cache mammals. The milk from these mammals has less fat and protein than those in the cache category. Next comes Nest Mammals, these would be your cats and dogs. Their Moms return to the nest to feed their litter more frequently than that of any of the categories that came before. Their milk has less fat and protein than the ones above. See a pattern here? Our last category here is where you find humans as well as other primates and marsupials. This category we find ourselves in is the Carry Mammal category. Animals in this category maintain near continuous contact with their mothers and must feed frequently, around the clock. Infants here are born the least mature and milk in this category has the least amount of fat and protein. Our milk is perfectly matched to the growth needs of our infants.
With all the above in mind, where does that leave us for sorting out how, when and why we feed our babes? In traditional cultures, infants are held against their Moms nearly all the time with free access to the breast. These infants can feed several times an hour, nearly round the clock until the ages of 3 or 4 or beyond. They are also reported to cry less. In our western/developed culture our infants are recommended to feed every 2-3hours during the day, longer at night and at earlier ages than other cultures. Use of soothers is encouraged and separation of mother and babe frequently is considered desirable.
These different practices can very much seem at odds with one another and makes advice we get from care providers, family and friends confusing. A lot changes in that first year of your babes life. There is a compromise between our biology and our culture though. Being responsive to your babes cues can be that happy medium. Don’t get me wrong, I am not insinuating that parents are purposely ignoring their babes. I am merely suggesting that we focus more on watching what our babes are trying to ask from us and following their lead on what they need vs. what we think they should be doing based on our cultural expectation. Understanding that you are not spoiling your baby by keeping them close or by offering them frequent yet effective feeds when they cue. They will, in time, sleep more independently and need you less. This will happen in time and when it is right for their development. I can also assure you that whether your partner provides a feed to them or not, they will bond in their own way and in their own time. At the end of the day we are still animals and our new babies don’t understand that when we put them down, we will pick them back up again and a wild animal won’t eat them.
With all that said, I have no doubt that each and everyone who reads this is doing their best for they babes and their family. I am here to encourage you to listen to your instincts and trust in yourselves.