Glossary of Balanced Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding language can be confusing. Not everyone uses the same language around breastfeeding, which can lead to feelings of being “othered” when breastfeeding in a “non traditional manner.” Many times I have met lactating parents who pump and bottle feed and ask, “am I breastfeeding?” Yes, they certainly are.
Here is the glossary of terms to help parents confidently name and embrace how they are feeding their babies.
I encourage you to adopt this language with us and teach others about it too.
Hard Newborn Work to be done:
Breastfeeding – feeding the baby any breastmilk in anyway. If your boobs make any milk, you are breastfeeding. If a baby eats any breastmilk, that baby is breastfeeding.
Nursing – directly latching onto the breast.
Stimulation – an effective nursing session or a pump session.
A Feeding cycle – direct nursing session or pumping and bottle feeding session.
Self-Care – the work only the self can do for one’s self.
Breast-Care – work only the lactating parent can do.
Postpartum Body Care – work only the postpartum parent can do.
Newborn Care – about 12 weeks of unique, intense, care of the human you made.
The people doing the work:
Lactating Parent – parent that makes milk for the bab(ies).
Breastfeeding Support Partner – person supporting the lactating parent and the process of breastfeeding.
Sometimes this is the lactating parent’s partner. Sometimes there is no partner, but every Lactating Parent needs a Breastfeeding Support Partner.
AND! There can be multiple Breastfeeding Support Partners!
Breastfeeding family – everyone in the lactating parent’s household who will be affected by the life rhythm change that a newborn baby and breastfeeding will bring.
The Breastfeeding Community – the support network that holds the breastfeeding family.
How you are feeding the baby?
We avoid language that centers on what is lacking and use language that centers how you are able to feed your baby.
How you feed your baby doesn’t define who you are as a parent. So, we avoid nicknames like “I’m a Low Supply Mom” or “I’m an Overproducer.”
We use language that speaks from the “we” of the breastfeeding family, rather than the “I” of the lactating parent. Not only does it include the newborn person, but it includes the breastfeeding support partner, the support family, and the support community.
It is my hope that this also lets lactating parents feel a little less alone in the self-care and breast-care work of lactation only they can do for themselves. The burden of responsibility and intensity of work is too heavy to be carried alone.
“We hybrid feed” rather than “I hybrid feed”
Hybrid Feeding – Combination feeding breastmilk and formula, most often when the lactating parent’s breasts are unable to produce the volume of milk needed to sustain the baby’s growth
“I hybrid feed” rather than “I’m a low supply mom.”
Exclusively Pumping – no nursing, only bottle feeding. This lactating parent only expresses their milk by pumping, not by nursing.
Bottle feeding – baby is able to drink milk effectively from a bottle, regardless of what milk is in the bottle.
In our realm, if you are exclusively pumping, or pumping instead of latching, you are still holding the possibility of latching. Once a lactating parent has made the decision to let go of latching, we use the term Exclusive Pumper.
The Milk Supply – the milk the boobs are making. How much milk your breasts make does not define your worth as a parent. Worth is not measured in ounces. You are worthy because you are.
When describing ounces of milk breasts are able to produce:
Under average production – Daily Milk volume is at a deficit to baby’s daily needs to grow appropriately.
Balanced production – Daily milk volume is equivalent and responsive to what baby’s daily needs to grow appropriately.
Over average production – Daily milk volume exceeds what baby needs to grow appropriately.
Weaning – the gradual process of decreasing breastfeeding.
We wean from the frequency and volume of milk the breasts are making and/or the frequency or duration of nursing.
Sometimes wean feels smooth, like the right thing at the right time. Sometimes weaning feels extremely emotionally painful and mentally tumultuous.
Lactating parents who nurse face the dilemma of refusing the baby’s request to nurse in order to wean. Lactating parents who do not nurse face the dilemma of safely and strategically allowing their milk supply to slow and stop.
