Just came across this article:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/12/01/marquette.moms.nursing.moses/index.html
A mother passed away 12 hours after her baby was born, leaving behind her husband, newborn, a 2.5-year-old, and two older children. Twenty mothers came up with a schedule so they could breastfeed the newborn around the clock.
And now I am done before my husband continues to drive me bananas! I know it's midnight, I get it!
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This story was really touching and a testament to the power of being women and caring collectively for each other. When I think about attachment theory (which I know you are into), what do we make of this child's early attachment patterns and how will this have a possible effect on his relationships later on? Any thoughts?
ReplyDeleteWow, Yaminette, excellent question. I was planning on doing a bunch of things on the computer, but I can't stop thinking about this. I want to go meet with our former developmental psychology professors and find out what they think! Shilkret is still there, by the way. I do not have a definite answer, of course. But I do know that babies are resilient, so, if his father is meeting his needs, he might be securely attached. I certainly hope so. It must be tough for dad, though. He just lost his wife, after all. As far as what sort of an impact being breastfed by different women is having on the baby, I have no idea whatsoever. Maybe breastfeeding becomes only about feeding, not about bonding? Or, perhaps, he is bonding with these different women, just the same way as our babies bonded with other people outside of mom and dad? Whatever the answer is, my heart breaks for this family, for those two kids who will never remember their mommy.
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