Dear Lactnet
In my 'real' job as a writer I have been compiling an education pack on bf
for use by teachers and students in Lanarkshire, Scotland. We had some
discussion about terminology, and my clients asked me to use 'mother's
milk' where possible in the text, human milk where it doesn't fit, and
breast milk only rarely. I rather liked this, as it brings bf into a social
context. In British English, too, there is a well-known phrase (I don't
know if it's also used in US and Oz English), which compares any delicious
and welcome drink to mother's milk. You might give someone a beer on a hot
day and ask them if they're enjoying it, and you might get the reply -
'mmmmmm...it's like mother's milk!'  Of course it's a real shame we can't
say the word 'breast' without offending someone somewhere, but that's the
world we live in. I don't think 'human feeding' instead of breastfeeding
sounds quite right, though  - maybe it's just me buut it sounds a bit
scientific and clincal.
all the best

Heather Welford Neil
NCT bfc UK