Breastfeeding and "Clan of the Cave Bear"

[ShadowMom]

I am reading the Earth's Children series (the first book is Clan of the Cave Bear, which was also a movie starring Darryl Hannah) and am just thrilled with the research that this author (Jane Auel, I believe) has done on breastfeeding!!

Numerous times a toddler breastfeeding is part of the story line, and she talks frequently about characters nursing their babies, nursing other mama's babies occasionally, and breastfeeding in general is just talked about quite a bit. And, there is one part in the first book where Ayla's (the main character's) milk dries up because she is in shock that her surrogate-mother figure has died and doesn't nurse her baby during that time. Ayla is heartbroken, and the other women have to nurse the baby. In the additional books in the series, the author refers numerous times to how sad it made her to lose her milk (the events causing that to happen are a little more complicated than what I've represented here).

Anyway... just wondering if others had read any books in the series, and what you thought in terms of lactivism. I thought she did a great job on this and I am REALLY surprised, ESPECIALLY considering that the first book was written in 1984.

[JustJamie]

I've read the whole series.

But - they would have had to breastfeed, wouldn't they? During that time period, they couldn't have made bottles, and animals weren't domesticated yet - in a book later into the series, Ayla domesticates a horse, which is a continuous surprise to the people she meets in her journeys; so cow milk, or milk from any species, wouldn't have been available.

[RidentMama]

I was very impressed with her referring to breastfeeding so often and how normal it was. Her books have a lot of depth (and the occasional um...intimate scene). In her latest book, there is a baby who is being raised on the sly by an older sibling (parents aren't interested in their kids at all), and they find a wetnurse and explain to the older sibling that fruit juice is not a substitute for breastmilk.

[Cinder]

Originally Posted by JustJamie

I've read the whole series.

But - they would have had to breastfeed, wouldn't they? During that time period, they couldn't have made bottles, and animals weren't domesticated yet - in a book later into the series, Ayla domesticates a horse, which is a continuous surprise to the people she meets in her journeys; so cow milk, or milk from any species, wouldn't have been available.

That was my thought. I haven't read the books since I was like 15 though.

[cravenab00]

oh wow!

I hadnt heard of this! I cant wait to go find these books. Thanks!

[zinemama]

ITA that of course they would have to breastfeed. What else? But yes, she did a good job of portraying the whole communal aspect of breastfeeding in that society.

That said, the first three books were fairly entertaining to me as a teenager. I'm sure I'm not alone in finding the sex scenes with Jondalar a big thrill at the time...

But reading the subsequent books as an adult - ugh. Neanderthal soap operas, basically. Ayla and her golden hair, blah, blah. And Auel is so dang repetitive. Every incident has to be told and retold by multiple characters. Was she getting paid by the page, or what?

[JessasMilkMama]

She also refers to 3yos as being in their "weaning" year - I knows she does lots of research for her books. (And I am impatiently waiting for the next one to come out)

[TigerTail]

As have we all for the last decade .

[Meiri]

I read at least 3 of them, got tired of the one woman making Every Single Innovation and Invention in the whole of Paleolithic history concept.

I don't even remember breastfeeding being mentioned, maybe because it was treated as such a norm when I was growing up?

There's a trilogy set in the ice age, or soon after, in which breastfeeding is mentioned and treated casually: Brother Wind is one of the titles. I found them more realistic.

[Sustainer]

I've read the whole series and love it and am eagerly awaiting the next book! I love all the breastfeeding stuff.

[AtomicOcean]

I've read the whole series and while I was impressed with the research that went into them, I think she planned on it being a 3 book series and then was convinced to write more by her publisher.

In one of the later books (can't remember which one) there is also a baby born prematurely and is kept in kangaroo care, which impressed me.

I did find that the middle books had a few too many sex scenes - like she was trying to squeeze a few more books into the series by adding words, lol.

Overall though, I like the general AP way in which the characters raise their children.

[Sustainer]

I'm pretty sure it was originally meant to be a 6 book series. But now she's saying it's going to be a 7 book series.

[2tadpoles]

Originally Posted by zinemama

But reading the subsequent books as an adult - ugh. Neanderthal soap operas, basically. Ayla and her golden hair, blah, blah. And Auel is so dang repetitive. Every incident has to be told and retold by multiple characters. Was she getting paid by the page, or what?

Yeah, I read them all as an adult. I would get annoyed by things like....she would take three pages to describe a tree.

I agree that they are soap-operaesque. Bubblegum. Still, I think the overall research was good.

[sapphire_chan]

If you enjoy those books, but are feeling aggravated at having to wade through pages of tree-descriptions to get to plot, just flip through until you get to "s.

[AuntNi]

Originally Posted by Meiri

I read at least 3 of them, got tired of the one woman making Every Single Innovation and Invention in the whole of Paleolithic history concept.

Oh, you are so right! You're cracking me up.

I have read all of them, and will probably read the next one (if it ever comes out.) I did like the latest book where Ayla got all the nursing moms to take turns nursing the neglected baby.

[Meiri]

I should probably pick them up again, surely the library has them.... and reread. I'll have more appreciation if there's really this much mention of my favorite baby/young child parenting tool.

Maybe I can get past my annoyance at there apparently being only one intelligent person on the planet for those decades.

[TigerTail]

I actually enjoy three page tree descriptions; the sex made me acutely uncomfortable for some reason. Give me Claire & Jamie anyday.

[TigerTail]

Originally Posted by Meiri

Maybe I can get past my annoyance at there apparently being only one intelligent person on the planet for those decades.

Oh! I actually gasped in sadness thinking of the poor Neanderthals on the Geico ad when you said that. I saw his aggrieved face & everything. Don't be mean to the cavemen.

[JessasMilkMama]

Originally Posted by TigerTail

As have we all for the last decade .

I remember her last book came out the weekend my dd was born, 4 1/2 years ago. So it might be a while more, considering that between book 4 and book 5 was TWELVE years!

[TigerTail]

There was a book 4 years ago? Crap, I can't remember if I read it!