We are carry mammals. Like kangaroos and monkeys, our milk has very little fat and protein and our babies come out extremely immature. So we are meant to carry our babies around for frequent feeding and all cares until they are able to fend for themselves (which is years). Kangaroos stick their babies in a pouch to do this while monkeys hang on their mamas backs. Our strong arms and curvy bodies are designed to hold on to our young.

Nest mammals, like dogs and cats, have a higher protein and fat content in their milk. They leave their babies in a nest for several hours a day and come back frequently to feed. While we are carry mammals, our society tries to make us think we are nest mammals. How often are we told a baby should be able to sleep in a crib away from us only to be picked up and cared for a few hours later and then put back down again?

There are also cache mammals such as rabbits and deer. They find a safe place to leave their babies and return every 12 hours or so to feed them. Because this is how their bodies are designed, their milk is much higher in fat and protein in order to sustain them for long periods. While we would like to think our young babies will be cache mammals overnight and nest mammals during the day, our milk does not have this capacity to sustain our young in this way.

There is a clash in what our biology wants and what society dictates. Your baby doesn’t know it’s a carry mammal in a nest society. It expects to be a carry mammal and will behave that way from all of its instincts. Don’t be surprised if your carry mammal wants LITERALLY carried for years and finds the best soothing and comfort when held in your strong arms on that gorgeous, curvy body.
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