Start for Life - 'mums milk'

[peppapighastakenovermylife]

Has anyone else received any of the 'start for life' literature yet? I have just had a brochure aimed at pregnant mums or mums with young babies in the post this morning. Overall it is great - promoting exclusive breastfeeding, weaning at 6 months, healthy eating etc.

However it keeps referring to breast milk as 'mums milk' all the way through. Why? I wonder if they think it is less embarassing? Why cant we say the word breast?

Not really something to worry about in the grand scheme of things but grating on me for some reason this morning!

In Beligum it's called moedermelk - maybe the brochure is translating from another language?

I always call it 'my milk'

I think they chose that wording to try to make breastfeeding more appealing. I can see the logic - really 'breastfeeding' isn't a great term in my view. There's something clinical and mechanical about it. 'Mother's milk' emphasises the nurturing aspects of lactation and I think it's far more 'holistic'. After all - it's not just your breasts involved with feeding your baby - it's all of you!

I usually call it human milk.
AFter all we call cows milk and goats milk cows and goats not udder milk.
Maybe for younger people particularly it helps to not use the word breast as that comes with all the sexual baggage for most people.

My Mum breast fed us all to 18-22mnths 20-30 years ago and always refered to it as "yummy Mummy milk". As I'm the oldest I have lots of memories of my siblings needing their yMm, so that's what I call it!

Happy to have it called 'mum's milk' - there are many phrases in English which it echoes, such as something really pleasurable and easy 'going down like mother's milk'.

Seems to me it underlines the personal and relationship aspects of breastfeeding, which can only be a good thing.

isn't there a Red Hot Chilli Peppers album called Mother's Milk?

I will google.

Good point about the personal side of things. Breastfeeding does sometimes sound a bit clinical maybe.

There is just something slightly odd about the way its used in the leaflet. Just reminds me a bit of the question 'are you still feeding him yourself'

I would be really interested to see if the wording had any impact in itself - especially amongst younger people.

I call it Mummy's Milk to DS as well - I think it sounds nicer than "breast milk" - sad but true. I tend to think of the word "breast" as more sexual and "mother" as more nurturing I suppose

Still, the worst term I have heard used is "tittermilk", which I just think is repellent.

i think it sounds better/nicer
and its just as accurate as saying breastmilk really, so i think good choice of wording for the leaflet

Interestingly, my toddler thinks any reference to 'milk' is breastmilk. She refers to other milk, as 'cow's milk' and 'square milk' (square being soy milk in a carton)

Wasn't she surprised when on her trial nursery visit and she was offered 'milk in a small carton'. She was so delighted, until she took a taste and pulled a face saying yuck, cow's milk. LOL

It is such a shame that breasts have been 'sexualised' to the point that the primary reason for having them is less appealing to many.

Any attempt to make feeding milk produced by the baby's mother in her BREAST, sound more appealing is OK by me.

Boobs are for feeding and for fondling - why cant the whole world see that? A penis is for peeing and for making babies - many things are duel purpose and people don't have a problem with that. Its not a problem for most people to see a topless woman on a beach, but if that womans toddler came for a drink, errr thats gross!! There are too many people who are far too sensitive and need to GET A GRIP!