Episode 7: Your Baby Does Not Want to be Alone

In episode 7 of the Birth Like a Mammal podcast,  host Lindsay Askins, an experienced doula, birth coach, and Mother, discusses why babies are evolutionarily programmed to NOT be left alone. She emphasizes the normal mammalian dependency of babies on their Mothers amongst societal norms that promote independence and separation. 

Lindsay discusses the psychological and physiological implications of practices like 'crying it out,' babies sleeping alone, and other examples of separation from their Mother, using illustrations from other mammals and indigenous cultures to support her points. This episode calls to realign our birth and childcare practices with mammalian biology for healthier and more holistic development and less life-long trauma.

Key Takeaways:

1. Understanding the importance of aligning human birth practices with mammalian instincts for better outcomes.
2. Babies are programmed by evolution to be dependent on their Mothers, contrary to the modern emphasis on early independence.
3. Practices like sleep training and early separation can cause long-term psychological and physiological issues.
4. Insights into how indigenous cultures handle birth and childcare, emphasizing constant companionship and natural processes.
5. Encouraging a shift in societal norms towards more mammalian-aligned parenting practices.

Quotes:

• "Obstetrics makes no connection to mammalian biology in regards to birth, resulting in high complications."
• "Your baby doesn't want to be alone. It truly believes that it will die if it is left alone." 
• "We are creating a problem by forcing independence upon a being that is designed to be dependent."