Yeah, this is one of those quotes that is cute/clever... until you have kids and learn or experience how common 'latching' problems are.
It's pretty distressing to watch the desperation and the struggle of a baby screaming and a mom trying but unable to feed her baby.
Then the quote sort of turns from clever into a sign of a bit of real-life ignorance.
There's a deeply ingrained mythos around how natural and easy motherhood is, but in nature, a lot of first time mothers are rather mediocre. It takes a while learn how to do all those "natural" things like nursing the baby.
And let's not forget that babies kinda suck (intended) at doing "natural" things too.
It used to be that people had between six and twelve children, so all children grew up among babies learning this crucial knowledge from their parents and younger siblings. They'd end up having children within a few years of moving out, too, so there was no forgetting about it, either.
I worked lambing/kidding season at a sheep and goat (wool) ranch for several years. It quickly disabused me of any notions that natural parenting processes are always or even mostly functional at the individual level.
Sure, selective breeding accounts for part of it, but so does the reality that evolution has tended to select (for many prey animals) for the ability to survive and reproduce a lot, not necessarily the ability to be a good parent.
Some years ago we had a goat that didn't recognize her new baby was her baby, and refused to care for it. We tried for some time to see if we could get her to hold still long enough for it to latch on, but every time it tried to eat she'd take off.
Unfortunately, since she wouldn't protect it, something seemingly snatched it up in the night and we didn't see it again. It was really depressing.
I once read an account of an octogenarian woman in a nursing home. A new doctor was assigned to her. Looking over the medical records, she'd had chronic urinary infections her entire adult life, until her husband passed away. She had urinary incontinence her entire adult life. They never had any children, though not for lack of trying.
Turns out that her husband had been penetrating her urethra throughout their marriage. When the old woman was questioned about these medical issues by the doctors, she told him that though it had hurt the first time, she expected it to and never thought much of it. Nor had she connected the onset of incontinence and infections with the act.
So no, I don't think that this is necessarily true, either.
Yeahhhhhh. Thanks for this right before I go to bed lol.
In any case, with billions of humans throughout history, I don’t doubt it’s possible. Crazier shit has happened. But it also rings like a tall tale of the medical field. But hey, I’m not saying it’s impossible.
gregw2 · · focus · HN ↗
It's pretty distressing to watch the desperation and the struggle of a baby screaming and a mom trying but unable to feed her baby.
Then the quote sort of turns from clever into a sign of a bit of real-life ignorance.
stvltvs · · focus · HN ↗
And let's not forget that babies kinda suck (intended) at doing "natural" things too.
OroPla · · focus · HN ↗
HeyLaughingBoy · · focus · HN ↗
I had a hen who was sitting on a clutch of eggs this summer. Did everything right: kept them warm, turned them regularly, etc.
Then one hatched and she promptly lost interest in the rest, leaving them to die.
zbentley · · focus · HN ↗
Sure, selective breeding accounts for part of it, but so does the reality that evolution has tended to select (for many prey animals) for the ability to survive and reproduce a lot, not necessarily the ability to be a good parent.
techjamie · · focus · HN ↗
Unfortunately, since she wouldn't protect it, something seemingly snatched it up in the night and we didn't see it again. It was really depressing.
analog31 · · focus · HN ↗
talon8635 · · focus · HN ↗
dingaling911 · · focus · HN ↗
NoMoreNicksLeft · · focus · HN ↗
Turns out that her husband had been penetrating her urethra throughout their marriage. When the old woman was questioned about these medical issues by the doctors, she told him that though it had hurt the first time, she expected it to and never thought much of it. Nor had she connected the onset of incontinence and infections with the act.
So no, I don't think that this is necessarily true, either.
talon8635 · · focus · HN ↗
In any case, with billions of humans throughout history, I don’t doubt it’s possible. Crazier shit has happened. But it also rings like a tall tale of the medical field. But hey, I’m not saying it’s impossible.
In any case, it’s obviously not the norm lol