Despite the supposed outcry about Kate Garraway posing whilst breastfeeding a calf, the photoshoot alone poses some interesting questions.
Why is it so unusual to see a woman breastfeeding a calf, when millions of women world wide, will quite happily feed their children breastmilk from a cow?
Why is there such an outcry about surrogate feeding? When surely the lactated milk from the same species, is a more natural, and sensible solution than that of another species?
Other People’s Breast Milk, one in a series of female-led documentaries, will be broadcast on Channel 4 on September 9.
August 25th, 2008 at 4:09 pm
I haven’t heard of that story until now, but you are right–we drink cow’s milk so why is it so taboo for a calf to nurse from a woman?
It reminds me of a documentary I saw on TV about a tribe in New Guinea whose women still nurse piglets when they are taken from their mothers. Because pigs are equivalent to money they have to do what they have to do in order to ensure their new piglets adjust and survive. And the pigs are thought of like children to this tribe. Many people would say that is outrageous because western society has put such a barrier between “man” and “animal.” But in reality we are animals and I’m sure if it came down to simple survival people would overcome that line between man and animal.
Very interesting topic though. I’m not sure what I would do in that situation, but I’m sure if it was culturally accepted and practiced there wouldn’t be a question.
Kalisha