Maybe because I am not a nurse, but I don't tie a "nursing back to health"
connotation to "nursing" when used as a synonym for breastfeeding. Just for
jollies, I looked up the verb "nurse" in a Merriam Webster Dictionary;

1. suckle [top billing, not bad!]  2. to take charge of and watch over  3. tend
(~an invalid)
4. to treat with special care (~a headache) 5. to hold in one's mind or
consideration (~a grudge) 6. to act or serve as a nurse

Nurse (noun): 1. girl or woman employed to take care of children 2. a person
trained to care for sick people.

Interesting. When I *breastfed* my kids, certainly suckling was going on; I took
charge of (though not in the dictator sense!) and watched over my kids (still
do!); I tended to their needs; I treated them with special care (regardless of
whether they were giving me a headache at the time!! :-) ); I held them in mind
for consideration (though not as a grudge!) and acted as a nurse (both
definitions)! I'm not sure that the dictionary authors necessarily had
breastfeeding in mind for all those definitions, but the wording is interesting!

As for saying it like it is and not being afraid of using the word
"breast"--amen. However, there are many women--at least in this country--who are
not ready to "breast"feed but might be won over to "nursing" their babies--a
matter of taking them where they are. Personally, I would much rather have the
entire female population "nursing" their babies rather than half of those women
refusing to consider it because of discomfort in a term.

The battles and obstacles we fight are many, aren't they?

Climbing down from the soap box now....

Melissa Vickers, IBCLC
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