Three women shared their views on the cultural difference in mothering, including breast-feeding, in the Pioneer Room of the Memorial Union Wednesday.

Vicki Abel, Mary Kay Vogel and Brigitte Gassman represented the La Leche League International, an organization with the sole purpose of helping breast-feeding mothers.

Abel, Vogel and Gassman led the discussion, “Endangered! The Art of Mothering: International Perspectives, Breast-feeding, and Other Aspects.”

The discussion largely included the advantages of breast-feeding. In the United States, bottle-feeding is considered the norm, Vogel said.

“In our culture, we don’t realize that breast-feeding is a normal part of the reproductive cycle,” she said.

Vogel said breast-feeding is the “common language of motherhood.” She said it ensures the mother spends time with her baby, gives a sense of competency and accomplishment by the mother that she cannot get any other way, and is healthier than bottle-feeding.

Brigitte Gassman is from Germany and used her perspectives on two different cultures to talk about motherhood.

Gassman said being from another country has opened her eyes to differences in school curriculums as well. She raised and home-schooled all five of her children in the U.S. because she wanted her kids to be taught a curriculum that is open to international aspects, something she said they could not have gotten through the public school system.

Gassman recommended women get involved in a support group before becoming pregnant so they are prepared early. She said breast-feeding her sons who had health problems has made all the difference in the world.

“I would go so far as to say it can be life-saving,” she said. Gassman said it establishes a certain relationship between the child and mother that is important during the beginning of a child’s life. People don’t realize it, but in many cultures, other women in the family will breast-feed the child besides the mother, she said.

The three women also discussed the importance parents in the United States place on kids to be independent early on in life. It is not uncommon for children in other countries to sleep with the parents for a few years, something that is not considered normal by American culture, Gassman said.

Abel shared her personal journey of mothering her four children. Her second child was adopted and nursed from her. She said it was important to her that she breast-fed all her children because the mother is the first trainer of the child.

“Society needs to recognize the unique aspects of both mothering and fathering. They are very different but equally important [in the child’s life],” Abel said.

Gassman said parents of every culture must recognize that each child will develop at a different rate.

“It is important to take each child as an individual,” she said.

Parents need to understand how to help their children get to the next stage in their life, Abel said.

“[Parents need to] connect with each of their children’s individual specific needs as a different person,” she said.

Views toward the acceptability of breast-feeding vary with culture, Vogel said.

“The U.S. culture is not as open to breast-feeding as many other cultures,” she said.

Jane Nakayama, junior in animal ecology, attended the discussion. She shared an observation she made about breast-feeding while studying abroad in Italy. She said it was something that was much more open and that people didn’t think anything of it.

“It’s nice to get a perspective outside of your culture,” Nakayama said.

Alicia Jauer, graduate in educational leadership and policy studies, works at the Sloss Women’s Center and helped to organize the discussion. Although attendance was low, Jauer said it was a good experience for the five audience members.

“From the small setting, it provided a great dialogue about the importance of mothering and breast-feeding. It also pointed out the importance that mothering has in other cultures,” Jauer said.