Dear Gail,

My daughter calls breasfeedig "milky", (the Hebrew word for this). She is 4
yrs old now. When she wants cows milk, or choclate milk, it's just "milk",
but "milky" is only mommy's milk. My other children (she is the fourth)
nursed to about 18 - 20 months, and didn't have a word for nursing, they
would just pull my shirt. I think I would tell her " do you want some
milky?", and thats how it started.

 She is very verbal, and it is fascinating to talk to her about the subject
of nursing. This is a completly new aspect of nursing I haven't known with
my previous children, who didn't nurse this long. We discuss the difference
between "milky" and milk (milky is much tastier), there always is some
milky in mommy (even if it's only a short while since last drinking milky),
and she promises she'll stop drinking milky when she goes to school...

It's unbelievable - she can count to twenty, tie her shoelaces, and is
drinking milky! If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes it would be hard to
imagine. I know it's normal, and has been done for million of years, but
sadly nowadays in our culture it's very rare. I have never met another
child nursing at this age, and before it happened to me I couln't really
believe it happens.

Mira Leibovich, MD

PS
Gail,
You write that you published a breastfeeding book for residents. Could you
please write me what's in this book, and how I could order it, if it suits
my needs - I really am looking for a simple book on bf for doctors (see my
previous post on educating doctors). Maybe it could even be translated.
Mira