How to Raise Human Mammals
As a person with a mammal body yourself, and as the mother of a mammal, have you ever thought about the origin of the word mammal? It comes from the Latin word “mamma” which means breast, as in, mammary glands.
And whether or not you breastfeed, this still has implications on how we care for our young.
Did you know that mammals can be split into 4 main groups as far as how they care for their young, which correlates directly with the make up of the milk they produce?
Cache mammals produce milk that is very rich in fat and protein, to sustain their young for up to 12 hours. These mammals cache their young in a safe place while the mother forages for food. The babies are relatively mature at birth.
Examples of cache mammals are rabbits and deer.
Nest mammals need to feed about every 4 hours, and the mother will leave them safely in the nest until she returns.
Dogs and cats are nesting mammals.
Follow mammals need to feed about every 2 hours. The young are able to keep up and follow the mother so they can nurse as often as needed. Since they can nurse more frequently, their milk is less calorie-dense.
Some follow mammals are horses, cows and giraffes.
Carry mammals nurse very frequently, and intervals between feedings can be quite short. This category of mammal produces milk with the lowest fat content.
Babies of carry mammals are less mature at birth: newborns are fully dependent on contact with an adult to maintain ideal heart rate, respiration, growth and hormone levels.
So are humans cache, nest, follow or carry mammals?
Accepting, for the moment, the question of spiritual content or divine origin . . . biologically speaking we are CARRY MAMMALS, just like bats, apes & marsupials.
That means our babies aren’t born expecting to be fed and then put down. Our babies have the same expectations that baby homo sapiens have had since the beginning: to be held.
In fact, a 2013 study found that maternal carrying calms our babies through a coordinated set of central, motor and cardiac regulations, and that this physiological response is shared with other mammalian mother-infant dyads.1
That’s why, when babies cry we pick them up. And most of the time, when we pick them up, they stop crying.
Understanding the biology can make it easier to understand our babies and throw out unrealistic expectations.
Your baby isn’t crying for “no reason”. Your baby may be crying because she needs to be held. That baby knows what she needs to be safe and to thrive. There is nothing wrong with that baby.
If your baby wants to nurse more frequently than the baby book said he needed to, it’s the book that is wrong, NOT your baby.
If your baby wakes whenever you try to set him down, it’s because he doesn’t feel safe being put down. He can’t escape a saber-tooth tiger by himself when he hasn’t even figured out standing!
Your little homo sapien may wake frequently in the night to feed, but there are other biological reasons, too. For example, waking frequently keeps baby from sleeping too deeply for too long, thus protecting against dangerous or life-threatening apnea (temporary lapse in breathing).
There is some evidence that the mothers’ presence can encourage more frequent wakings and be protective against SIDS.²
In short, we are made for each other, we and our babies ❤️
Something to think about:
“Human infants recognize physical separation from their mothers and start to cry in pulses. Crying stops at reunion.
“The observed postnatal cry may be a human counterpart to the “separation distress call” which is a general phenomenon among several mammalian species, and serves to restore proximity to the mother…
“The findings are compatible with the opinion that the most appropriate position of the healthy full-term newborn baby after birth is in close body contact with the mother.” (bold added by me)
-from the Abstract of “Separation distress call in the human neonate in the absence of maternal body contact.” 1995 study by K Christensson, T Cabrera, E Christensson, K Uvnäs-Moberg, J Winberg Âł
Below, my daughter Annabelle in the most appropriate place, on my chest ❤️
Why Use a Baby Carrier?
In our arms is the best place for your baby, but how can we do that when we are so busy? Of course, a baby carrier or wrap is the answer.
And baby carriers are not a modern invention. Carriers have been used all throughout human history in every culture, and were most likely used by prehistoric woman, too.
In fact, the invention of some kind of baby sling may well be the single most important contribution to our evolution as a species 🤯 While necessity may be the mother of invention, it looks like a mother was the architect of the greatest invention in our history.
“The invention of the baby sling, which allowed more babies to successfully mature outside the female body, instantly removed the barrier to increased head and brain size . . . Courtesy of the baby sling, our ancestors got smarter,” says Dr Timothy Taylor of Bradford University, author of the Artificial Ape.
If we held our babies all day without a baby carrier, we would be relegated to our homes, unseen in society, prisoners on the couch.
And today, just like throughout history, mothers’ production and contributions have been vital to families and groups.
So we wrap.
Wrapping creates a womb like environment for your baby to feel content and reap all the benefits of the evolutionarily appropriate contact with your body.
Wrapping makes it possible to fill all of baby’s biological needs while still caring for other family members, preparing food, and doing all kinds of work.
And let’s not forget crucial elements for the well being of mothers, who are the linchpin in so many families who rely upon her abilities to keep things running. Getting outside, getting sunshine and fresh air, a chance for movement and exercise, interacting with other adults, and participation in society are vital for both mother AND society to thrive.
Where we now have stronger emphasis on nuclear families and less community and village, it can feel impossible to fulfill all the roles we are given.
We should absolutely build community, find mom friends, ask for help and offer help. Live multi-generationally. Support community building businesses and take advantage of resources. These things are essential for our families.
But sometimes building community is another (or the most) onerous task we don’t have time for or don’t know how to tackle.
Whether you do that or not, instead of feeling overwhelmed at all that’s expected of you, I encourage you to learn how to use a wrap, and to wrap your baby or toddler every day for your well being, theirs, and everyone’s.
I’m here to help everyone learn to wrap safely and start enjoying the benefits. Comment below to tell me what you need.
Want Help Wrapping Your Baby?
Want more hand holding as you pick out and learn to use a woven wrap, or for learning more advanced ways of wrapping? See how you can work with me on your wrapping!
I donât know when youâre reading this, but Iâm hoping it was the help you needed today. I would very much appreciate it if you drop a comment and let me know if this was helpful or what help you are looking for.
Happy Wrapping!
❤️ Diana
References for the science:
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23602481/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9346985/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7633137/
NĂŠjia February 17, 2025 at 4:36 am
I LOVE this crucial piece of information! it serves to remind me of the amazing work we’re doing by simply carrying our baby, providing comfort and brain building towards their mental and emotional wellbeing and ours!!! â¤ď¸
DianaR February 19, 2025 at 10:09 am
I love that, NĂŠjia – it is the most important work â¤ď¸