new name for forum

[julie128]

nak
funny, i was just thinking last night of posting a poll on this topic. then, i log on and find a discussion under way.

[julie128]

Maybe I should mention that this poll is unauthorized and is not a policy-maker by MDC. It's just your opinions. Thanks for voting!

[eilonwy]

I still like "Breastfeeding Beyond Infancy" rather than "Breastfeeding Beyond One Year/Two Years", because every baby ceases to be an infant at a different time, kwim? Eli stopped being an infant around 9-10months, and now at 16 months he resembles a two year old more than a 16 month old in terms of just about everything, including nursing style.

[laurata]

Originally posted by eilonwy
I still like "Breastfeeding Beyond Infancy" rather than "Breastfeeding Beyond One Year/Two Years"

I agree, I like that too.

[mother_sunshine]

I really like the idea of "Sustained Breastfeeding" especially since it gives a more correct and respectful term to replace "extended breastfeeding". BUT, to me, the term (sustained breastfeeding) still sounds exclusive or separated from just plain old "breastfeeding" (which is essentially what it still is, regardless of the age of the child). I mean, unless I am mistaken and missed out on the newest lingo somewhere, "sustained" simply means "to maintain", "to endure or withstand"....but isn't that every mother who is breastfeeding...baby or non-baby? To tack another separated term on oursleves is, to me, separating ourselves just as much as even an incorrect term like "extended nursing" (we're not *extending* our child's nursing duration, we're just meeting their needs). I don't mean to pop anyone's bubble, really I'm not, I love everyone here. Therefore, after so much wishy-washing I vote for "The Older Nursling". It's sweet and simple. It separates the forum (which is necessary and helpful to all) without separating ourselves.

[BusyMommy]

Ok, I like the names, too. But, what's wrong w/the current one?

[eilonwy]

Originally posted by BusyMommy
Ok, I like the names, too. But, what's wrong w/the current one?

Visit this thread

[mimim]

I'm ok with the name as it is now, but I do like "The Older Nursling". Nursling is just such a great word! I use it whenever possible. : I agree with eilonwy that "Breastfeeding Beyond Infancy" is a good description of the discussions in this forum!

[oceanbaby]

I like the sound of "The Older Nursling", but I remember when "Understanding Circumcision" was changed, it was pointed out that the word "circumcision" should stay in the title so that it would appear on search engines. If it was titled "your intact son" or something like that, it wouldn't appear when someone was researching circumcision. So that would be my concern about taking the word "breastfeeding" out of the title.

I voted for Breastfeeding Beyond One Year, and that I also like the title as it is.

[Peppamint]

In like them in this order:

The Older Nursling
Breastfeeding Beyond Infancy
Sustained Nursing (not sure how I feel about this one though really)

I agree with Rynna

every baby ceases to be an infant at a different time

my dd nursed more like a baby past a year, however my ds is 11mo and he is more like a toddler than a baby. I have a friend with a 7mo ds who is pulling up... he is as advanced as my ds. Any issues etc she has will be more like the issues you find here IMO than a forum for nursing a baby.

[eilonwy]

Originally posted by oceanbaby
I like the sound of "The Older Nursling", but I remember when "Understanding Circumcision" was changed, it was pointed out that the word "circumcision" should stay in the title so that it would appear on search engines. If it was titled "your intact son" or something like that, it wouldn't appear when someone was researching circumcision. So that would be my concern about taking the word "breastfeeding" out of the title.

That's a really good point, i hadn't even thought of that!

[velcromom]

About the name as it relates to finding the forum through a search, I have found that the search generally takes you to the main page and doesn't specifically focus on the names of the forums under the broad heading of "Breastfeeding". So as long as the forum is located under the "Breastfeeding" heading it will be as accessible as the other breastfeeding forums here, regardless of its name.

[MamaAllNatural]

I love "The Older Nursling" but I feel it's a little flawed. I think the name of the Forum should be able to start a new trend (go into mothering magazine, then out into the world). So, the Forum could be called "The Older Nursling" but it it only changes who we are nursing, not what we are doing. That's only the name of the child who is "Extended Breastfeeding." My worry is that "The Older Nursling" won't revolutionize much if used in this way because you can't use it as a what, only as a who.

For example, "I'm doing extended breastfeeding."
"I'm doing The Older Nurslinging."

For more information on Extended Breastfeeding...
For more information on The Older Nurslinging....

Am I making any sense? I really want to get away from "Extended Nursing" but I think we need more of an equivalant for the name. The older nursling for the "who" is beautiful and I love it. But I just don't think it works for the "what" (as in the action of breastfeeding aka EB) very well. If we don't fully replace "Extended Breastfeeding," we'll never get away from it.

[Sustainer]

Originally posted by mother_sunshine
"sustained" simply means "to maintain", "to endure or withstand"....but isn't that every mother who is breastfeeding...baby or non-baby?

Not every mother maintains the breastfeeding relationship until its natural end. Most women in this country practice "abridged" breastfeeding. They wean the child prematurely, before it is really ready. Those of us in this forum sustain the breastfeeding relationship beyond the point at which this society expects us to terminate it.

[majazama]

I posted on the other thread too... How bout' breastfeeding after getting started... implying that you're going to continue after starting?

[UrbanPlanter]

Originally posted by *Mamajaza*
I posted on the other thread too... How bout' breastfeeding after getting started... implying that you're going to continue after starting?

That could mean after a couple of weeks, couldn't it? Like, it took me a few weeks to get the hang of it, and then we kept going. But we could have weaned by three months like so many moms do....

I like "sustained breastfeeding" or "breastfeeding the toddler" or "breastfeeding beyond two years". (Or even just one year, even tho I think that compromises the idea of "extended" bf, which is at least two years and up until 4-7 years)

I agree that the word "breastfeeding" is important in order to find the forum on a search engine.

I could live with "extended breastfeeding" if there is a sticky at the top of the forum that defines what EBFing is.

p.s. I actually voted for "the older nursling" but changed my mind after reading the posts here.

[velcromom]

Originally posted by MamaAllNatural
I love "The Older Nursling" but I feel it's a little flawed. I think the name of the Forum should be able to start a new trend (go into mothering magazine, then out into the world). So, the Forum could be called "The Older Nursling" but it it only changes who we are nursing, not what we are doing. That's only the name of the child who is "Extended Breastfeeding." My worry is that "The Older Nursling" won't revolutionize much if used in this way because you can't use it as a what, only as a who.

For example, "I'm doing extended breastfeeding."
"I'm doing The Older Nurslinging."

For more information on Extended Breastfeeding...
For more information on The Older Nurslinging....

How about Natural Duration Breastfeeding? ( We're doing NDB, for more about NDB...etc?)

[MamaAllNatural]

Originally posted by velcromom
How about Natural Duration Breastfeeding? ( We're doing NDB, for more about NDB...etc?)

Hey I kinda like that!

[mother_sunshine]

Originally posted by SBFmommy
Not every mother maintains the breastfeeding relationship until its natural end. Most women in this country practice "abridged" breastfeeding. They wean the child prematurely, before it is really ready. Those of us in this forum sustain the breastfeeding relationship beyond the point at which this society expects us to terminate it.

So does "sustained breastfeeding"="child-led"? If this forum is about breastfeeding until the child weans her/himself (the biologically natural end), then why not call it "Child-Led Weaning" or even "Natural Weaning"? Unfortunately, I don't think that's realistic for this forum...YET anyway...and it would exclude a lot of mothers who are just taking it one day at a time, and have not yet committed themselves to "child-led", and come here for the support to keep them going.

Originally posted by oceanbaby
I like the sound of "The Older Nursling", but I remember when "Understanding Circumcision" was changed, it was pointed out that the word "circumcision" should stay in the title so that it would appear on search engines. So that would be my concern about taking the word "breastfeeding" out of the title.

If this is true then how about "Breastfeeding The Older Nursling"?

Originally posted by MamaAllNatural
I think the name of the Forum should be able to start a new trend (go into mothering magazine, then out into the world). My worry is that "The Older Nursling" won't revolutionize.
<p>For example, "I'm doing extended breastfeeding."
<p>"I'm doing The Older Nurslinging."
<p>If we don't fully replace "Extended Breastfeeding," we'll never get away from it.

I completely understand where you're coming from, and I agree that we need to get away from the term. But by tacking on another term then aren't we still separating ourselves just the same? Isn't that what we want to get away from? I mean, it's going to mean the same thing to the general public regardless of what we call it (no matter how much more accurate and meaningful it is to *us*).
------

Breastfeeding an older child used to not be such an unusual thing, and it still isn't in other parts of the World. I'm certain they didn't/don't call it anything other than "breastfeeding" (or whatever their term) regardless of the age of the child. I don't see what we're doing as separate from what we were doing when dd was an infant. It has constantly changed and evolved but it's still "nursing" to us. When my daughter asks to nurse, she asks to "nurse". She doesn't say, "Mama, I wanna extended nurse (or 'sustained nurse' or 'NDB' or whatever)". I'm being silly but doesn't that strike anyone else as strange or unnatural to tack an extra term on it? In order to separate the forums, to make it easier to decipher, why not just name it what it is...."Breastfeeding the Older Child/Nursling/Whatever". If we start taking on these new terms, and expect the public to use them in a respectful non-mockingly way, how will we ever expect to be taken seriously? We gain respect by being ourselves without shame or embarrassment, not by forcing another trendy term on everyone. I think the more people know that this is natural and normal, the more people will understand and respect it (as they surely once did).

[eilonwy]

Mother Sunshine, I think it needs to be a separate forum because the issues associated with nursing beyond infancy are different from the issues associated with nursing in infancy. For example, while many newborns have latch issues it's a pretty rare problem for 18 month olds. Lots of 18 month olds want to "drive-by nurse", but rarely will a two month old. Most mothers of newborns don't have to deal with teeth, but nearly all mothers of older children do. Many mothers of toddlers have to deal with nursing while pregnant, but mothers of newborns are rarely concerned with this. A nursing strike in a 2-week old can be terrifying for mother, but in a 12 month old who's getting solids, it's no big deal.