Dear Lactnetters, A few months ago, as part of my research interests in breastfeeding, I asked for the words your children used to describe nursing. 45 individuals responded, several with more than one child and more than one name. In summary, here are the words older children use for nursing (* indicates a frequently used term). *num nums, nummies, nuh nuhs, na nas, nee nees *nursers, nursies, nurt, nurnie *side(s) nit nit titty bopy see the milk deed mama nur, mama nurt issing bucko dibs *more, more mores mookies susu *I want to nurse (now!) I need mama me, ma mom, mama juice special time beastie bay suck bottle, baba cuddle acey cockle p *milk, mulk, milky I want a snack uma hunt see see noo-noo Several respondents mentioned how special it was for them when their child could talk about how they felt about nursing. As one woman described "Nursing is certainly more than a way of feeding and means much more than food to our children." Nursing is an important part of being a family for many respondents, and often children learn a word for nursing from an older sibling. There was much humor and warmth conveyed in these stories. For example, one child asks for the big one or the small one in reference to the quite different sizes of her mother's breasts. This can cause her mother some embarrassment in public. Another child's request "I want titty!" in public was quickly interpreted to mean "I want kitty" for those nearby. Some of the respondents indicated that they actively taught (or tried to teach) their child a code word for nursing, so that they could nurse discretely in public. And others expressed relief when their child chose a "safe" word on their own. Now I am interested in knowing more about what lactation consultants, mothers and fathers think about the use of code words for nursing. Do you believe that mothers should teach children a code word? Why or why not? If you would like to share your thoughts with me on this, or other related issues, please write directly to me ([log in to unmask]) and I will summarize the responses (while preserving your anonymity). I appreciate that each of you shared your time and stories with me. Lactnet is a very generous community. Cindy A. Stearns, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Women's Studies Sonoma State University 1801 E. Cotati Blvd. Rohnert Park, CA 94928 (707) 664-2708 ([log in to unmask])