breastfeeding
(brest-FEE-ding)
The act of feeding breast milk to an infant. Babies can be fed directly from the mother’s breast, or breast milk can be pumped and then fed to the baby from a bottle. Breast milk contains calories, vitamins, minerals, and other important nutrients that help an infant grow and develop. It also contains antibodies, which help protect the infant against some infections. Breastfeeding also helps protect the infant and mother against certain diseases or conditions. Also called nursing.