Blogging for Babies, Breastfeeding and Mothers

Mia Moja gave birth to the first gorilla born in North America this year (2010). This 20 year old Western lowland gorilla delivered her second baby on February 26 at the Louisville Zoo. This not yet named baby- a naming contest will take place soon- will afford an awesome opportunity for people to observe breastfeeding. Sometimes people forget- and children may not know- that the human race, as well as all mammals, have survived through the ages by staying in close contact with their mother and breastfeeding. 

While writing this blog, I learned some fascinating facts about gorillas from the Primate Info Net : 

• From birth to 5 months of life, mountain gorillas remain in constant contact with their mothers. Female gorillas stay close to their resident silverback for protection. 
• Infants, dependent on their mothers for food, suckle at least once per hour, and sleep in their mothers' nests at night.
• After five months, the baby separates from it's mother for a few seconds at a time.
• By 12 months, infants begin to wander up to 16 ft away from their mothers, but only for a few seconds.
• By 18 to 21 months, the distance between the mother and child increases.
• At this time, the infants begin to nurse about every two hours.
• By the age of 30 months, infants spend half of their time with their mothers.
• The juvenile period is from three to six years.
• During this time maternal grooming decreases, the infant no longer shares a sleeping nest with the mother, and weaning takes place.
• Female gorillas do not ovulate until the infant is weaned at three or four years- lactational amenorrhea.
• Ovulation resumes shortly after weaning and the female becomes pregnant again.
• Gorillas are cohesive in nature. The juvenile gorillas are surrounded by playmates including the silverback, which scientists believe decreases the weaning conflict between mother and infant. 

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