Mamels life animal

One day, according to my Dad , when I was a wee bitty baby, I latched onto his nose and started suckling. Apparently it took about 4 seconds before I realized no milk was forthcoming and let my displeasure be known. “ Let me sing you the song of my people ” -Me at 6 weeks old & my Dad So why don’t men lactate? After all, they have the equipment, kind of. Males in many mammalian species have nipples and mammary tissue. The presence and development of these structures in males depends on the timing of sexual differentiation during embryonic development. In humans, out of 100,000 men, 1-2 will develop breast cancer annually ( Speirs and Shaaban 2009).  And the equipment works, kind of. Testosterone deficiency in men can, in rare circumstances, lead to the medical condition of galactorrhea - when a milk substance is spontaneously produced from the mammary gland. There are also a few reports of men producing milk and nursing their infants, but Big Foot is better documented. Baby

Weaning in primates is a fascinating  process  in which ingestion of mother’s milk, as a proportion of daily dietary intake, incrementally declines as the infant ages.    From moment to moment, this exquisite negotiation of nipple access between mother and infant can vary in relation to food availability, maternal style, and the compelling power of the infant demand (aka weaning tantrum). Oh and lots of other factors can influence the weaning process too. Field Museum, Chicago One of the more remarkable features of human development is that cessation of breastfeeding occurs earlier for us than for our closest ape relatives. This is not just an artifact of a modern industrial world. In 2001,  Dan Sellen reviewed >100 non-industrial populations using demographic and ethnographic records. The average age of the introduction of supplemental solids was estimated to be ~5 months (±4 months) and cessation of breastfeeding on average was estimated to be ~30 months (±10 months). Chimpanzees

My younger brother and I were, at times , somewhat enthusiastic and not terribly considerate of my mom. Between our grand schemes, monumental battles, and overabundance of personality, I can’t even wrap my head around how exhausting we must have been. When we were especially appalling Dad would call us to the carpet: “You kids have got to stop turning your mom into ‘Mother Butter.’ She is a goddess who gave you life and would do anything for you- QUIT SHAKING HER UP AND CHURNING HER AROUND.” by Garth Williams “But… but…” “No buts, you don’t have a counterpoint, she’s your mom, you will appreciate and respect her at all times and that’s the end of the discussion .” Only now that I study mother’s milk, do I recognize the fantastic word-smithery of “Mother Butter.”  So here’s to all the wonderful, exhausted, loving, exasperated, nurturing, driven-to-their-wits-end, magical mothers. May your darling demon children grow up to be in awe of all you’ve done and all you are. I know I hav