Our Babies, Ourselves -anyone want to discuss?

[crunchy_mama]

Just finished this book. I have sooo many thoughts and opinions. It changed my thinking in so many ways and confirmed my beliefs in a million others.

It was not at all what I was expecting. For some unknown reason I have had in my mind that somewhere outhere was this pristine untouched culture from the dawn of time from which AP'ing bf'ing mommas draw our thoughts and ideas. Now I see this to some extent that bf'ing and co-sleeping are the biological norm. However I also see AP and GD etc are the continuum of evolution. We continue to learn more and do better. It makes me feel much more understanding of other mothers. I also wonder will AP win out- will our evolution continue in this manner or will ff'ing and DP win out and take over the globe as so many cultures try to imitate western ways.

Well, there are a few of my random thoughts. Anyone else have some thoughts?

[MuhajibahMama]

It's been over two years since I read the book, but I just wanted to pipe in that it is an AWESOME book...and I try to lend mine out to any mama that I think might be positively influenced by it. From the biological prespective, either AP will win...or our biology will evolve to adapted to the FF/DP...that is a sad thought...but that's how evolution works, right? My bet is that society can not forever ignore our biology!

[crunchy_mama]

MuhajibahMama- It is sad to think of the possibilities of our bodies evolving to FF'ing. I still know the majority of the world bf's, but it is very sad that if our bodies were unable to bf that this wouldn't upset some people in the least(not that these things occur overnight or anything). I also found it interesting that she stated the low milk supply is a western only problem, mostly it seems stemming from our birth practices. However, what is really disturbing is that our birth practices seem to be getting further and further out of whack with c-sec's rising, v-bac's more restricted etc.

No one else has any comments? I know there has to be more mammas who have read the book!

[jraohc]

I just finished this book and thought it was great. I wish it had delved into more beyond the infant stage, but what it talked about was great. Very interesting. DD wants my attention now, but I hope to come back later.

[SamuraiEarthMama]

meredith small wrote it, right? i bought the "our kids" followup book, but haven't read it yet. i was turned onto the first book by an excellent interview in "Brain,Child" magazine...

i read the book, and actually had some questions (dealing with evolution, brain size, pelvis size, and birth difficulties) and found her email online (she was teaching somewhere)... and we had a very nice email conversation! i just wanted to say that she's very approachable and a sweet gal...

my husband is an evolutionary biologist (yes, they exist in kansas city, although rare!), and this was about the only book i could get him to read before the baby was born (well, that and the emergency childbirth handbook!)... i'm so glad he did, because it really related, in terms he identified with as a professional and as a parent-to-be, options and ways to think about raising our child... i had already raised three kids, mostly AP, and definitely had my own ideas and opinions. it was very, very good for our marriage and partnership to be able to let him come to his own conclusions about baby care by himself, with scientific information, without me having to be "the expert." it helped me back off and relax on letting him come to terms with things, otherwise i might have come on too strong and forced the issue into an unnecessary argument. so you see i have a personal interest in how wonderful this book is!

katje

[fuzzypeach]

I read this book by pregnant and was very pleased to hear scientific, biological support for the things I was planning on doing with my baby - breastfeed, cosleeping, babywearing. Those things seemed right to me but it was nice to have some information about why! While reading it (and after) I I thought that it would be a great book to give to people who are against breastfeeding/cosleeping/babywearing etc... if they're the sort who would be openminded enough to be persuaded by science anyhoo Not light reading tho, it was crammed full of info and took me a while to get through, and I'm a fast reader. But well worth it.

[littlecityfarmer]

I found the book fascinating, I was really intrigued by the of concept of ethnopediatrics (that was that was the term, right?), and it affirmed so many of my parenting instincts, but I read it so long ago I can't comment on specifics... I think I renewed it from the library about 4 times, though, and I really should buy it...

[sept04mama]

I LOVED this book! In College, I studied the Social Sciences, and was always interested in this kind of thing. I think that the Anthro. Professors should get more in-depth with parenting and biology, since many students are someday parents, and if they knew the biology behind it, they would be less likely to fall into the mainstream traps that so many educated people do. I thought it was all fascinating and not too technical. I have tried to get others to read it, but so far, nobody.