I think there are many terms that we as advocates use that undermine 
our own agenda. I personally think that "Lactivist" is one of those 
terms and have no desire to be termed as such. OTOH, it concerns me 
less than the word "breastfeeding". We do not use the terms 
"udderfeeding" or "teatfeeding" for other mammals. Using the word 
"breast"feeding inherently implies there is another option. It also 
objectifies the breast, making it similar to a bottle in that sense. My 
breasts do not feed my children, they are not filled like a bottle, 
then emptied by the baby like a bottle. My breasts are not independent 
of me and my psycho-spiritual experience of mothering. My breasts are 
intergal to a complex feedback mechanisn within my biology and my 
psyche that is in constant communication with my brain, my heart,my 
nervous suystem, my endocrine system and so on. IMO, we need to be 
truly radical and when we refer to the feeding of an infant we must 
mean ONLY feeding at the breast. Botlles are the object, the tool like 
many others accessed only when necessary. I also do not think "human" 
milk feeding does it, b/c this can be done with a bottle and places all 
of the value on the product--human milk. That is why I like the phrases 
"artificial" feeding and "artificial infant milk", b/c they make it 
clear they are not a physiologically normal way to feed a baby.

I don't have the exact solution, especially as it becomes more complex 
when one tries to think globally, but I am pretty confident that we 
aren't using any effective terminology, though. As a mtter of fact, I 
think we will know it is effecvtive when it isn't adopted by the AIM 
companies in their own literature. They have no problem with "breast is 
best" or "breastfeeding". I don't see the term "artificial feeding" in 
their literature, though.

Jennfier Tow, IBCLC, CT, USA


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