I have been enjoying the discussion about  breast feeding ,
breast-feeding and breastfeeding (the last is my preferred spelling).
To me, the word " breastfeeding" includes what a mother does and
what a baby does.  On the other hand,  "breast feeding" in two words
reminds me of a cartoon I have of a guy in a cafe under a  sign which
says "No breast feeding" and he is spoon feeding some of his dinner
into a breast sitting on the table. The waiter is saying "Can't you
read?". Wacky, but it gives a whole new meaning to separating the
words.

If one takes this combined spelling further to include bottlefeed or
bottlefed, as I often do, my computer spellcheck suggests the
alternative "battlefield".  I like it.

In Australia the word "nursing"  refers either to what nurses do, or
as a word that means to cuddle a baby. (If an Australian asks if she
can nurse your baby, don't get twitchy about it).  When used instead
of breastfeeding,  I see it as a coy way of avoiding the use of the
word breast, perpetuating the attitude that breasts are sexual
objects. When the Nursing Mothers' Association of Australia was
formed it was so named because the word breast could not be printed
in "decent" publications and could not be used on the radio before
11.00 at night.   LLL probably has its obscure name for similar
reasons.  I say we should reclaim the word breast and permanently
fix it to feeding.  The two words belong together.

Ros Escott
Tasmania, Australia - where we like to avoid battlefields altogether
if we can.