24 Apr Spring Reminders: Trust Your Instincts!
Spring time is animal baby time! Dogs, cats, sheep, goats, cows, rabbits, foxes – the Earth is bursting with birth. What is the first thing you were told, and you probably tell your children, about what to do when you see new baby animals?
“Just look, don’t touch!”
“Leave the baby with its mother.”
“Give them lots of space!”
“Wait until they are older to pick them up.”
“Mama might get mad if we bother them.”
The reasons for these rules were clear: if we touched or bothered the babies and mama, the mama might not take care of them well anymore, or they might not nurse, or we might get hurt by the mama.
Most of us will follow and respect these rules with animals – but with each other… not so much. Humans are special animals, but we also share a lot with other mammals – including mothers and babies needing to stay together without separation while the baby is still new and vulnerable to help them bond and breastfeed.
So the next time you meet a newborn baby – follow these simple rules:
Just look, don’t touch.
Leave the baby with it’s mother.
Give them lots of space.
Wait until they are older to pick them up.
And Mama’s: Get mad if you’re bothered!
-AnnMarie RianWanzeck, LM/CPM
No Comments