Above Rubies Daily Encouragement Blogs
Through the weekly and daily devotionals you can be constantly encouraged in your great role of parenting, the highest career in the nation. You can also stay updated on what's happening with the Above Rubies ministry.
A FEW MORE THOUGHTS FROM ”DID YOU KNOW?"
Dear ladies, Some asked yesterday where I got the information about women only ovulating about 100 times in their lifetime years ago. I have known this information for years. It is easily researched. However, I read an interesting study recently about a study conducted by scientist, Beverley Strassman who lived amongst the Dogon tribe in Mali, Africa for two and a half years. Her purpose was to study their womanly cycle. It is interesting that in this tribe, who are not influenced by our western culture, they still only cycle about 100 times in their lifetime. This is typical of most tribes around the world who are not influenced by western society. They mother intuitively, not by conditioning of modernism, or what they have read.
Strassman found that the women had their first period at about 16 years. This was also normal many years ago. I myself didn't start until I was 16--I'm a bit older than most of you! I think that one of the reasons girls begin their periods so early today is that they are reaching their body fat much earlier. When the female body reaches about 20 percent body fat, menstruation usually begins. Today, with fast food, fattier food, sugary food, and so much MORE food to eat, and a more sedentary lifestyle girls reach their 20 percent at an earlier age. Tribal women do not live on this kind of food and live a very active lifestyle and therefore reach 20 percent body fat later.
The Dogon women give birth eight or nine times during their childbearing years and only menstruate about 100 times in their lives.
Of course, they nurse their babies--wear their babies all day and sleep with them at night, consequently they don't start menstruating again until their babies are about 20 months. I happened to be reading this out to Serene and she replied, "I'm right on plan! Breeze is 20 months and I have just started my cycle." This is normal for Serene as her babies nurse day and night.
Strassman believes that the basic pattern of late mencarche, many pregnancies, and long menstrual-free stretches caused by intensive breast-feeding was virtually universal up until the "demographic transition" of a hundred years ago from high to low fertility. In other words, what we think of as normal frequent menses is in evolutionary terms abnormal. She states, "It's a pity that gynecologists think that women have to menstruate every month. They just don't understand the real biology of menstruation." The shift from 100 - 400 menses is enormously significant. It means that women's bodies are being subjected to changes and stresses that they were not necessarily designed to handle.
Love from Nancy
Strassman found that the women had their first period at about 16 years. This was also normal many years ago. I myself didn't start until I was 16--I'm a bit older than most of you! I think that one of the reasons girls begin their periods so early today is that they are reaching their body fat much earlier. When the female body reaches about 20 percent body fat, menstruation usually begins. Today, with fast food, fattier food, sugary food, and so much MORE food to eat, and a more sedentary lifestyle girls reach their 20 percent at an earlier age. Tribal women do not live on this kind of food and live a very active lifestyle and therefore reach 20 percent body fat later.
The Dogon women give birth eight or nine times during their childbearing years and only menstruate about 100 times in their lives.
Of course, they nurse their babies--wear their babies all day and sleep with them at night, consequently they don't start menstruating again until their babies are about 20 months. I happened to be reading this out to Serene and she replied, "I'm right on plan! Breeze is 20 months and I have just started my cycle." This is normal for Serene as her babies nurse day and night.
Strassman believes that the basic pattern of late mencarche, many pregnancies, and long menstrual-free stretches caused by intensive breast-feeding was virtually universal up until the "demographic transition" of a hundred years ago from high to low fertility. In other words, what we think of as normal frequent menses is in evolutionary terms abnormal. She states, "It's a pity that gynecologists think that women have to menstruate every month. They just don't understand the real biology of menstruation." The shift from 100 - 400 menses is enormously significant. It means that women's bodies are being subjected to changes and stresses that they were not necessarily designed to handle.
Love from Nancy
