Breastfeeding 1-2-3

How Do You Pronounce That “La Leche” Anyway?!

by Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor on October 17th, 2006

When my first daughter was just four months old, I moved to a new town. With the stress of moving and some trouble breastfeeding, I was completely overwhelmed. I needed breastfeeding help and had heard of La Leche League. I looked up the contact phone number for a local leader on-line and screwed up the courage to call her, even though I wasn’t sure how to pronounce “La Leche” League. I needn’t have worried. The volunteer mother immediately knew why I was calling and was happy to help me. I soon started attending meetings and got to know some other mothers in the area. Thank goodness I’d gotten over my embarrassment and made that call!

There’s no need for embarrassment, though. “La Leche” is pronounced “la LAY-chay.” It means “the milk” in Spanish. It was chosen as an informal code name for nursing by the founders in the 1950s when it wasn’t polite or politically correct to use the word “breastfeeding” in mixed company. While there’s no longer a need for a code word, there remains a need for La Leche League. 

Today marks the anniversary of the first informal meeting at the home of founder Mary White on October 17, 1956. Happy 50th Anniversary La Leche League!

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