The oneness of mother and baby is important for society. William Gairdner in his book, The War Against the Family, claims that there is unanimity on this important point: “poorly attached children are sociopaths in the making.” To avoid poorly attached children, the answer is good mothering.
Gairdner’s key words for good mothering are these: availability, responsiveness, and sensitivity. Mr. Gairdner pointed out that three separate research studies conducted at three different major universities all clearly showed that what babies and young children need is 1) mother’s availability, 2) mother’s sensitivity to her child’s signals, and 3) mother’s responsiveness to her child’s need for comfort and protection. In other words, the mother has to be there, she has to read the signals of her baby, and she has to respond to her baby in a sensitive manner.
Gairdner also states in his book that “young children need an uninterrupted, intimate, and continuous connection with their mothers, especially in the very early months and years.” With prolonged breastfeeding, the mother does have an uninterrupted and continuous relationship with her baby, and it’s an intimate relationship as well.
By the way, my husband got steamed enough to write a blog on Natural Family Planning and USCCB Litany.
Sheila Kippley
Breastfeeding and Catholic Motherhood
The Seven Standards of Ecological Breastfeeding
The Crucial First Three Years