Because Humans are Mammals!
The Breastmilk of each species is designed specifically for their young. So why replace it with the milk of another species?
A table (here) compares the fat content of milks from different species; we find that whilst human breastmilk is 3.8% fat, that of a Blue Whale is 40.9% fat.
Here are some breastmilk facts about other mammals:
(The source here is mainly from a quiz here - so skip there if you'd rather - quick before you've read the answers! See also the excellent site about breasts: 007b.com)
Camel: In some countries, people sometimes drink the milk from this animal. At birth, a calf’s eyes are open and it already has a thick wooly coat. It will not start developing a hump until it begins to eat solid food.
Cat: These babies rely on their sense of smell and touch because their eyes remain closed for seven to ten days after birth. Their sense of smell helps them find their mother’s nipples. They knead the nipples to get milk to flow.
Cows: How cow's milk is meant to be used!!
Dolphins: read their story in full on Cave Mother.
Elephant: These animals live to be about 60 years old. The baby is born nearly blind and at first relies, almost completely, on its trunk to discover things. They nurse their young for three to four years.
Hippo: born underwater - and nurse underwater, too. The mother puts her head under water and boosts the newborn to the surface to breathe. Then the baby goes under again, finds a nipple and suckles, instinctively folding down his ears and closing his nostrils. Every twenty to forty seconds, he bobs to the surface to breathe and swallow.
Horse: This baby stands on its long legs and nurses within one to three hours after birth.
Human: At birth, this baby drinks very small amounts (about the size of a marble) and because he poops and pees very often, he needs to eat about every two hours for the first couple weeks.
Kangaroo: When this baby is about nine months, he is old enough to leave the pouch and the mother gives birth again. One of her teats makes milk to meet the needs of the older baby who will nurse for about 18 months, and one of her teats makes milk to meet the needs of the new baby.
Koala Bear: When this baby is born, it’s the size of a peanut! It crawls into its mother's pouch and attaches to a nipple to drink milk. By seven months of age, the baby pokes its head out and starts to explore. By 12 months the baby is weaned, but will return to the pouch for safety until it is 18 months old.
Lion: Female and young lions live together in a pride. In one pride, all the lionesses take care of all the cubs. Like Meerkats, but unlike almost all other mammals, any lioness will wet-nurse any cub. A napping lioness who has been hunting all night doesn't pay much attention to who is suckling on her. And because they are all so closely related, a lioness helps the family no matter whose baby she nurses.
Orangutans: (As our nearest relatives, apes deserve a special mention - on The Breast Way there is an article about the BF habits of many different kinds of apes.) Orangutans breastfeed, ride on their mother's body and sleep in her nest for seven years - among the longest nursing period of any mammal. The young stay with their mothers at least until a new baby arrives; males begin to wander off then, but females may stay around for a while observing how babies are cared for. They are accomplished acrobats, often nursing upside down-hanging by a hand and a foot from a branch.
Pig: These animals have between six and twelve babies per litter. Each of the babies claim their own teat within two days of birth and nurse only from that teat.
Platypus: The female duck-billed platypus breastfeeds without benefit of a breast or a nipple. The mammary glands rest underneath the mother's chest. The youngster pushes against the chest wall with his soft, pliable bill, then licks the oozing milk off his mother's skin and hair.
Polar Bear: These mothers nurse sitting up. Babies weigh about two pounds at birth and will weigh 500-1300 pounds as an adult. They nurse for about two and a half years.
Sea Otter: This mother nurses her baby while floating on her back and holding the baby on her chest. She quickly teaches her baby how to swim and hunt. A baby nurses for six to eight months.
Sea Lion: These mothers leave their babies on the shore when they hunt and return to feed them once or twice a week. Babies are able to survive for several weeks without feeding and are able to swim from an early age.
Seal: The hooded seal lives about thirty years, but spends only four days nursing and being a child, the shortest nursing period of any mammal. They live at sea, but they must give birth and nurse out of the water. The only surface available is floating ice. Pups are born when the ice is beginning to melt and break up. A sudden storm might send pieces crashing together, crushing moms and pups. Or an ice floe might split, and moms and pups could be separated. A short childhood helps avoid these perils.
Whale: The whale mother's milk glands are below her thick blubber layer because she needs to preserve their sleek, hydrodynamically efficient shape. This inside location also protects the milk from cold. The baby nudges the area and milk-thick as cream-spurts out. A baby humpback whale drinks up to 130 gallons of milk each day. (Video here of a Beluga whale)
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| Orca Whale |
Zebra: This baby nurses for at least six months. The mother will keep her baby nearby long enough for him to know her smell, call and stripes (which are unique to her).
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If you're sharing this with a child, you may also like to see a few books, see some book reviews, or watch this video on YouTube.
Baby animals are weaned when the mother is newly pregnant or preparing for another pregnancy. In western culture, today, the most common reason cited for human weaning is in preparation to return to a job outside the home.
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