It's a good point, nursing = past a year or so, breastfeeding=feeding at the breast. ( Mouth-feeding ? Breastfeeding=food from breast, mouthfeeding sounds a bit intimate, I think I get my food off a spoon or fork, though I think some birds do mouthfeeding, e.g. penguin ) words shape our thoughts. What word is used when an animal feeds her young ? Cows don't 'udder-feed'. What about rabbits, kangaroos, dolphins,etc. Before going too far off the point, there is a science in helping mothers to 'breastfeed', because, as in medical emergencies, we need knowledge, as well as experience. And it feels presumptuous to help a woman to nurse her baby, as it's her prerogative to find her own style. There is evolution in language, as well as in living creatures. We cannot go backwards. Maybe we need a word that includes the other stuff, e.g. immunities, age-related nutritional content, etc. as well as the cuddly bits. Maybe some people don't breastfeed because they don't feel comfortable with the word breast. Some people say 'boobs' for breasts, and also for mistakes. BTW, overheard at a study day: 'but doesn't bottle-feeding change the flora in the gut ? Is it any good to bottle-feed ebm, if this is true ?' AARGH ! Helena Boutal