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On Thu, 27 Jan 2005 Kathy Eng wrote:

.... I am also seeing a trend in that moms call pumping and bottlefeeding
"breastfeeding" -- they say they breastfed their baby but what they did is
pump and bottlefeed. Meaning moms see the two as equivalent....
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Kathy - good point. One issue here is semantics - the choice of words.  This
is where all of us need to be very careful what terminology we use, as that
helps our colleagues and the mothers we work with see the difference more
clearly.  The practice described above is (as you wrote) *not*
"breastfeeding".  What it is, is *breastmilk-feeding*, and this is how we
should always describe it, unless we term it by its other correct term,
"bottle-feeding". Depends whether we want to focus on the product
(breastmilk) or the process (bottle-feeding).  When people become aware of
the differences from our care over semantics (words), they are given the
opportunity to think.

This correct terminology needs to be used, whether mothers are opting to
bottle-feed their babies breastmilk for their entire lactations, or
providing breastmilk for bottle-feeding to their infants while at work.  In
the latter example, the baby is *breastfed* part of the day, but
*breastmilk-fed* during the mother's work shift - but she is still "a
breastfeeding mother" as the baby is at the breast some of the day.  This is
different from the mother who exclusively bottle-feeds EBM, who is a
"breastmilk-feeding mother".  Actually - why bottles?, apart from custom and
the reluctance of carers?

The importance of semantics (or as Diane Weissinger would say, "watch your
language") is why I make a point of not using the term "formula" for
factory-made breastmilk substitutes made from animal milk, soy or hydrolized
protein.  It used to be a formula, when it was individually calculated for
the individual infant and made up in the milk lab.  (This didn't catch on in
my country.)  Stuff mass-produced in a factory is best described as what it
is, "artificial baby milk" (ABM), "artificial infant milk" (AIM), or
"factory-made milk".  I usually use the term "artificial baby milk" (ABM)
myself.

More on semantics in a separate post.

Virginia Thorley, OAM,ThA, BA, DipEd, GC TESOL, MA, IBCLC
Lactation consultant
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Tel .+61 (07) 3399 7616
Mobile: 0409 876 848
email: [log in to unmask]
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