Dr. Katherine Dettywyler sent me this information about societies where children breastfeed for many years. (shared with permission): NOTE: Anthropologists no longer refer to any society or group of people as being “primitive” or “savage” or “barbaric” – people who have very simple technological resources may nonetheless be quite sophisticated in terms of religion, philosophy, kinship systems, art, music, etc. Therefore, please excuse the following authors for using the … [Read more...]
Wordwide Average Age Of Weaning
May 25, 2012 | 5 Comments
Dr. Katherine Dettwyler graciously is allowing me to share some of her written work on my blog. She is by far the top Anthropologist in regards to breastfeeding research. I hope everyone is educated and inspired by her thoughtful articles. Here is the first in the series I'll be posting: By Katherine A. Dettwyler A worldwide average age of weaning? That pesky 4.2 year figure. For many years, Ruth Lawrence has claimed in her book Breastfeeding: A Guide … [Read more...]
Disneynature’s Chimpanzee Breastfeeding Story
April 22, 2012 | 17 Comments
Brian and I went with the kids to see Disneynature’s Chimpanzee on opening day. It’s really no surprise that we loved it. We knew it was going to show the story of a dominant male adopting an orphaned chimp (which was truly beautiful). What surprised me was how eloquently the documentary covered the topic of breastfeeding. Oscar, the three-year-old chimpanzee, was shown breastfeeding with his mother throughout the day. The narrator explained that Oscar eats solid food, but is not nearly … [Read more...]
