What Does Your Nursling Call Breastfeeding?
It is a myth that if a child can ask to nurse, he is too old for breastfeeding. Even the tiniest newborn asks to nurse by crying. Besides, is a child too old for a bottle of formula once he can ask for that? Does a child who can ask to nurse at nine months need to wean, while the two-year-old who has yet to say any words may continue breastfeeding? The ability to communicate with spoken words and the need for the benefits of breastfeeding have nothing to do with each other.
A friend mentioned this morning that her two children each had different names for nursing. I tried to teach my first nursling to say “num-num” as a secret code word for nursing. Such a code word can come in handy in situations where others might not approve of a child’s need to nurse. Unfortunately, my older child interpreted “num-num” as “mum-mum,” and for a long time, “mum-mum” and the word for “mama” were pretty much used synonymously. Turns out the choice of mum-mum came in very handy though, because when my child would ask for mum-mum, others would think she just wanted me. “Oh, you want your mama? I’ll go get her!” I found it interesting that “mum-mum” also became the term for my breasts and for the breast milk itself. A child would ask for “mum-mum” (nursing) and tell me that my “mum-mums” (breasts) were full of yummy “mum-mum milk” (as opposed to “cow’s milk” that comes from the refrigerator).
What does your nursling call breastfeeding? If your child does not have a word for nursing yet, are you trying to introduce such a word? Do you use a sign language hand sign for breastfeeding? Leave a comment!
Tags: breastfeeding, lactationRelated Stories
POSTED IN: breastfeeding
26 opinions for What Does Your Nursling Call Breastfeeding?
Jen
Oct 29, 2007 at 3:40 pm
I have always called breastfeeding “nursing”. I’m kind of a troublemaker sometimes, so no code words for me! If anyone had wanted to give me trouble about my children nursing, I would have been happy to talk to them about it. Either people could sense that or I just surrounded myself with people who were going to be accepting of nursing in public and nursing by (somewhat) older children.
When my son started talking, he called it “ursing” for a really long time. I fondly remember hearing him say, “I want to ‘urse on you, Mom!” We night-weaned him at 18 or 19 months so we could get pregnant, and his nursing tapered off until he quit sometime around 23 months. It makes me sad that I can’t remember the last time he nursed. I think that is common when the nursing is primarily child-led rather than parent-led.
My daughter will be two in two weeks(!) and she calls nursing “neesh”. Her first word every morning is always neesh, and she mutters it at night in her sleep. She also refers to my nipples as “neesh”, so when we’re in the bath she’ll say, “wet neesh, Mom”.
I’m the one who suggested this post, because I’m curious to read about all of the different things children call nursing. No matter what we might want them to call it, for propriety or clarity or whatever, they’re going to call it what ever makes sense to them.
My friend’s child called it “mommy moo moo juice”. That’s the funniest I’ve heard so far. Bring it on!
Jen
Oct 29, 2007 at 3:53 pm
Oh, I forgot to mention that both of my kids used/use sign language for nursing. It was Kayli’s first sign–I think she was about ten months old. I was SO excited and thrilled that she as communicating that I videotaped her nursing and signing, and everyone sat around and watched with delight.
As far as that being a more subtle method of requesting to nurse, it never worked for us. My kids LOVE nursing and usually did the sign while also yelling “‘urse!” or “neesh!”
Maria
Oct 29, 2007 at 5:56 pm
My son does not talk yet, but he does sign “milk” to nurse some of the time. Other times he just crawls in to my lap and lays down. I ask him if he wants to nurse, but I am beginning to think I should have chosen something else to call it. Oh well…
Meleah
Oct 30, 2007 at 7:26 am
My twins are only 9 months old, so no one is *calling* it anything, yet. But we call nursing “mimi’s” to them and they get excited every time we say it. They smile/flap their arms/kick their feet or shake their heads. We started calling it num num’s for a few days, but when I am feeding them their soliding I often say “yum yum” and I just thought that was too similar and confusing. So, we switched to mimi’s and man oh man — our babies love their MIMI’s!
Eilat
Oct 30, 2007 at 7:32 am
Not only does my son call nursing “nursing”, but he calls my breasts “boobies” so we are pretty screwed in public ;-)
I don’t mind, though. I think its sweet. If he asks to nurse in public (at 26 months he is very articulate and speaks very clearly) I just say to him “we only nurse at home”. If people hear us, they sometimes seem uncomfortable and that is their problem.
What is so funny is when he talks about my breasts. When I change my clothes, for example, he will announce with excitement “you have one, two boobies” pointing to each one as he counts.
I recently had a biopsy on a mole on my right breast. Now he calls that one “the booby with the boo boo”. It cracks me up!
MomOnTheGo
Oct 30, 2007 at 8:00 am
From the beginning, I have spoken of nursing and mama milk versus cow milk. When my daughter was young, she called breast milk “nyuk” and at some point switched to referring to nursing and breast milk as “milkies”, as distinct from “milk” in the fridge. At 3 she sometimes calls my breasts as milkies, too, but I refer to them as breasts and she increasingly does, too. She loves them and likes to squeeze and pet them, they give her food, comfort and closeness. It makes sense that she would have a nickname for them.
Allanna
Oct 30, 2007 at 10:59 am
My twins (nearly 21 months old) and I call nursing “deets” … It’s a contraction of what I always asked them, “You want to eat?”
Yeah, after asking that when you’re a sleep-deprived new mama, it just slurred into “You wanna deet?”
And so it goes. So now I get two little people who run up to me and ask, “Deet? Deet??!?”
So I make them say “please.” :D
The only problem is that some people think that the kidlets are saying “teat” or “tit.” Nope. If they didn’t say “deet,” it’d probably be called “boob juice.” (Which, coincidentally, cracked up my mother-in-law when I referred to breastmilk that way.)
Ali
Oct 30, 2007 at 10:59 am
Before she could talk, my daughter used the sign for “milk.” Once she could talk, she said, “Nurse” or “nursies.”
Maria
Oct 30, 2007 at 11:13 am
Allana– I once refered to it as “Magic titty juice” and it stuck with some of my friends. They refer to it as that when discussing it with me, but I don’t use it for The Boy. LOL!
Sarah
Oct 30, 2007 at 11:25 am
With my first, I used the word Yummies. He got excited when I said it, but he weaned before being able to say the word himself. I use yummies with my second, but she is only 8 months. She must have a different nursing need than my first, because she does not become excited when I say the word. I say it everytime we bf.
CJ
Oct 30, 2007 at 2:03 pm
We speak Spanish at home and often referred to nursing as “tomar tetica” (or “drink from the breast”). My son first called it “tica” then “teta.” He’s been weaned for two months now (he’s 27 mos), and just yesterday asked me for some “teta.”
Jenna
Oct 30, 2007 at 5:03 pm
My oldest son called for “boobs” or “booby monster” when he was hungry. This kept him out of and asked not to attend my sister’s wedding for fear he may get hungry while I stood as maid of honor.
My youngest son signed milk for nursing and now says “I love you” when he wants to nurse.
Megan
Oct 31, 2007 at 7:56 am
My son (now 21 months old) is just now saying to me, “Nurse, mama!” I would have loved a cute nickname for it, but this is fine, too. :o)
laura c.
Oct 31, 2007 at 7:07 pm
when i notice my son wants to feed i ask him if he wants any breasties. he doesn’t talk yet but when he does it’ll be interesting what he comes up with. for now he just climbs on my lap and starts slapping and pinching my chest while trying to rip my shirt off. we’re totally low key:)
Cairo Mama
Oct 31, 2007 at 8:31 pm
I say “milk” and my son does the sign for milk. Sometimes he does the sign and says,”mil”. The “milk” sign is very empowering. Even if you don’t want to get into sign language, teaching the milk sign is a great idea. He gets so much mileage with that sign. It became even more helpful when he started walking and falling. If he gets hurt, he gives the sign, I nurse him for a few seconds to a few minutes (as long as he needs) and he is back, ready to play.
Laura McIntyre
Nov 1, 2007 at 10:33 am
We call it Milkies , neither of my kids (almost 2 1/2 and 1) actually ask for it but just use the sign for it , they know what i mean when i ask if they want milkies
Shelly
Nov 1, 2007 at 12:22 pm
We call breastfeeding either “na nas” or “nursing.” Usually, I’ll ask my youngest daughter if she wants “na nas” but when talking to my oldest daguhter, I’ll use nursing, as in “The baby is nursing”. I also use the sign for nursing whenever I use the word “na nas”.
Bea
Nov 1, 2007 at 5:48 pm
I say num-nums, my son (22 months) say “two-sies” the number two is his new favorite word and will ask for “two-sies” and “more”. he has also started patting his bed and smacking his lips when he’s trying to be subtle. totally suave.
Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor
Nov 1, 2007 at 6:08 pm
Instead of “more” I’d get asked for “the big one” (the one that still had some milk!) or “other side.” :)
laura c.
Nov 2, 2007 at 6:41 am
those last two are super cute. this is a little off topic but my husband calls it taps or tappers bacause it’s milk on tap. i’m kind of exited to see what my son calls it when he starts talking, he’s got alot of names to choose from.
Maria
Nov 2, 2007 at 8:07 am
Off-topic as well, but I have to share this story. My day-care provider told me that my 10 month old son unbuttoned her polo and then pointed to her breast the other day! He apparently has not figured out that it comes only from me (in his case). LOL! I would have felt badly, but this is his favorite “teacher” and he loves seeing her in the morning. Anyway… maybe with the weekend coming up, he will show me something other than his “milk” sign.
Eilat
Nov 2, 2007 at 8:11 am
How funny, Angela! My son also used “the big one” for a while :-)
Elizabeth
Nov 15, 2007 at 11:19 pm
My oldest son, at first, said, “Ssss” (as in nurSe). But then it changed to “nurse”, but it was pronounced a bit more like ‘noorse’ — I loved it! My daughter would ask to “nurse”, and when one side was empty, she would look at me and say, “side” (as in, the other side). My current nurser is just 13 months (and getting molars — my kids always stop talking when they get molars) — so he signs “please” and then points to me — that’s what I taught him so he wasn’t fussing and pulling on me. We also call it, “Mama Milk” and my kids get a kick out of that. When my kids have been really little, as we would sit down to nurse, I would ask them if they wanted some “somethin’ - somethin’” and they would get so excited.
Oxana
Jan 22, 2008 at 10:05 pm
my son is currently a little over fourteen months, and usually signs for milk, and recently starting saying mum- mum, or na, and if ask him if he wants nummie, he gets all excited. If he happens to sit on my lap when he decides that he wants to nurse, he peeks into my shirt as if to reasure himself that they are still there, then pats my chest. He is so cute, he loves to play games sometimes. Sometimes I lean close to him, ask if he wants nummie with my shirt on, he would pretend to open his mouth then laughs out loud.
Karen
Jun 25, 2008 at 10:02 am
my son says “milky time”!!
Kelley
Oct 8, 2008 at 2:35 pm
So it’s 4am, we’re sleeping when I hear the little girl shuffling around. Then, as if she’s done this a thousand times, she pats my head and says, “urse” “urse” “urse” It brought tears to my eyes…
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