anton (04/06/83)
Judy Freeman (rabbit) is not quite correct in saying that breast feeding
is an effective means of birth control.
The details work like this (roughly and briefly)
In order to a) conceive and b) come to term the potential mother
must have 'enough' energy reserves. Too few and b) will not occur
(termination or re-absorbtion of the foetus). Much to few and
even menstration will not occur.
There have been studies recently in the US on women going to
their doctors about irregularities in their periods. After much analysis
and tying in with work done by anthropologists it was found that they
were becoming infertile because they were jogging. Yes, Jogging !
What happened was they were working off every last bit of body fat.
For body fat read energy reserves. The body's hormonal system detects
this shortage and 'turns off' a 'fertility switch'. Much safer than
any other method of contraception known; no side effects. If we knew
the chemistry involved we could have a once a {week, month year, lifetime}
pill and finally shut up the author(esse)s of these books on how to
live without menstrual cramps.
How is this relevant to the third world ?
Milk contains a lot of fat. Lactating draw on the body's fat (read energy)
reserves. If you are on a diet that is not rich in fat your body has
to make it from other stuff.
It is worth noting that the diet of our paeleolithic ancestors was
basically high protien & high roughage. This results in good nutrition
without the opportunity to amass fat reserves. The move after the
ice age from hunter-gatherer to agricultural society was accompanied
(naturally enough) by a change in diet; more starch, i.e. more convertable
fats. Fertility rates rose.
If you truely contend this, mail me and I will dig out references.
For people casually interested, the anthropologist Marvin Harris has
an ammusing paperback "Canibals and Kings" which goes into this in more
detail.
I know its not conclusive proof, but....
There was a girl I knew in my university days who, like so many of us
on tight budgets, ate scantilly; fish, meat and bran. She once
asserted that she was fortunate to have light to non-existant
periods. I wondered; for a couple of months I took her through the
joys of oriental cuisine (lots of rice to you folks). Lo, she
became upset because of 'menstrual disorders' she was experiencing.
I didn't have the nerve to try telling her, I just stopped seeing her.
She wouldn't have believed me anyway.
/anton