>I too like the word nursing better than breastfeeding, because it seems
>to me to encompass the fact that there is so much more going on than
>simply feeding.
>
>NURSING: to nourish at the breast : SUCKLE b : to take nourishment from
>the breast of
>2 : REAR, EDUCATE
>3 a : to promote the development or progress of b : to manage with care
>or economy  c : to take charge of and watch over
>4 a : to care for and wait on  b : to attempt to cure by care and
>treatment
>5 : to hold in one's memory or consideration
>
>
>True, meaning #1 is the most commonly associated with breastfeeding, but
>IMHO, all of the other definitions apply to some extent as well.

Elizabeth,
This was actually discussed before on Lactnet, and it was pointed out that
the use of the word 'nursing' varies in the different English-speaking
countries. In Australia, unlike America, it is very rarely used to mean
breastfeeding (despite the name of our breastfeeding association, NMAA! -
that was so named because the word 'breast' could not be printed in 1964
Australia, I believe, and is a cause of frustration and misunderstanding
among some people here now).

I looked up the word 'nurse' in our Macquarie Dictionary (official
Australian dictionary) and the first of 19 (!) meanings is 'a person who
has the care of the sick or infirm', the second is 'a woman with general
care of a child or children', and the third 'a woman employed to suckle an
infant, wet nurse'. The 14th meaning is 'to suckle (an infant)' and the
19th '(of a child) to take the breast'.

Also pointed out during a previous discussion, I think by Kathy Auerbach,
that when you get on an aeroplane in Australia, when they give safety
instructions before take-off, they say something like 'if you are nursing
an infant, place the oxygen mask over your own face first, and then assist
the child'. This means if you have a child sitting on your lap, not one
breastfeeding! (Although they might be :-) )

Language use varies, but as long we all know what each other is talking
about, it probably doesn't really matter - it's the communication that
matters.

******************************************************************
Joy Anderson B.Sc. Dip.Ed. Grad.Dip.Med.Tech. IBCLC
Nursing Mothers' Association of Australia Breastfeeding Counsellor
Perth, Western Australia.   Email <[log in to unmask]>
******************************************************************