The word ’booby’
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Category: Support
Forum Name: Infant/toddler feeding
Forum Description: From breast/bottle feeding and starting solids, to fussy toddlers, discuss it here!
URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=33859
Printed Date: 20 May 2024 at 4:18am
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Topic: The word ’booby’
Posted By: Ant
Subject: The word ’booby’
Date Posted: 04 June 2010 at 11:51am
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Hi All,
I've been wondering about this for awhile, and finally figured I'd ask since I know there are lots of breastfeeders on here. I promise I'm not trying to hassle people's choices - I'm just genuinely curious. What do you call your breasts/breastfeeding, and why? I've discovered that the most common term seems to be 'booby', and a lot of tickers and things say 'booby baby'. Did you call them 'boob's' before you started feeding? I ask because I refuse to call my breasts 'boobs' and don't want my toddler calling out for 'booby' in public. (And I got a bit annoyed at my mum's comment to my child of 'do you want your mum to give you some titty?'). It wasn't a word I used before, and feels a bit crude (I am well aware it's a common word and many people are happy to use it). But - why is 'booby' so common? ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com"> http://lilypie.com">
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Replies:
Posted By: weegee
Date Posted: 04 June 2010 at 11:59am
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Uggh I'd prefer booby to titty that's for sure. LOL it was something I puzzled over, trying to think of something I was happy with calling it so my toddler would ask for it the right way once he started asking. I decided I'd prefer him asking for "mummy milk" since I wanted the focus to be on the milk rather than the apparatus iygwim, so that's what I started calling it.
Turns out I needn't have bothered because he had his own ideas and now he asks for "nummies" which is quite cute really and I don't have any problem with it (well actually, he asks for nummies when he wants the right side and "two" when he wants the left! Sometimes, but not usually, he will ask for "two" first, go figure, I guess they taste slightly different?). ------------- 
Mum to JJ, 4 July 2008 & Addie, 28 July 2010 |
Posted By: MamaT
Date Posted: 04 June 2010 at 12:25pm
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Oh thats cute weegee.
I also cringe when people, namely my grandmother refer to breastfeeding as "going on the tit" or something along those lines "ick". DH refers to it as boobyfeed. I generally just say feed, but will probably have to change that or it could get confusing when we start solids -------------  
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Posted By: noodle
Date Posted: 04 June 2010 at 12:27pm
I prefer booby to titty aswell! Weegee nummies is soooo cute!! DS couldn't talk when I was BFing but I use to say to him "do you want some milka" haha weird I know!  ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: palomino
Date Posted: 04 June 2010 at 12:37pm
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Ick i hate titty.
Brennan says "now" when he wants milk. Dam impatient male. I dont know why he picked up on the now but im happy to go with it. I guess i say " do you want some milk now?" |
Posted By: Ant
Date Posted: 04 June 2010 at 12:44pm
Dh plans to teach the little'un Spanish, so we've gone with the easy option of 'leche' or leche de madre (which is loosely 'mother's milk'). That way when he's actually having milk it won't get confused (rather than just asking for 'milk'). It feels a little... wanky  if people are around, but I think you have a point weegee with the focus being on the milk rather than where it comes from.
Of course he may choose something quite different 
p.s. weegee I love your sig, and have often quoted it to Dh when he comments on my craftyness  ------------- http://lilypie.com"> http://lilypie.com"> http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: arohanui
Date Posted: 04 June 2010 at 2:17pm
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We call it various things... i like susu though, it's what we called it as kids 'she's giving her baby some susu'. It's the solomon island word for breastmilk.... my parents lived there for a couple of years. i didn't know it was a family thing and thought it was what everyone called it, til i realised when i was about 1O! lol.
i'm not much of a fan of 'booby' but my gosh i can't stand 'tit' or 'titty'! We also say 'he's having a drink\milk\a feed'. ------------- Mama to DS1 (5 years), DS2 (3 years) and... http://alterna-tickers.com" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: High9
Date Posted: 04 June 2010 at 2:43pm
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a feed or nom noms or milkies is what we say here.
Can't stand tits etc. DP sometimes says booby time MIL, her boys all said moomilks time ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: Ant
Date Posted: 04 June 2010 at 2:52pm
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I must admit that when little'un was newborn and did that hungry face where they put their tongue out Dh would say "He's doing the tittyface".
I tried not to say it in front of others, but for some reason (sleep deprivation?) did find it very funny. Especially as neither of us is sure why it started. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> http://lilypie.com"> http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: T_Rex
Date Posted: 04 June 2010 at 3:39pm
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I've been wondering about this too. We are calling them boobs atm, but lately I've started calling it cuddles. Not really happy with either tho, cos I'd like to be able to offer cuddles without milk too IYKWIM. My cousin used to call it bos or bosy (as in bosom) which was cute, but not one for me! ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: jessiesmum
Date Posted: 04 June 2010 at 3:57pm
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It took me a few minutes to think what I called it as I'm not a fan of boobies or titties. But I just used to call it "milk". DD was 18 months when she weaned so not really talking that much but a really good thing to consider before I have to explain it to her with the new bub. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
DD 2007, Angel Baby 2009, DS 2010 |
Posted By: mummyofprinces
Date Posted: 04 June 2010 at 4:48pm
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we say boobies, but i call them boobs anyway... mind you he gets just as excited if i ask him if he wants milk so he knows both and the baby sign for it too... if he wants it though he just rubs his face on my chest... no words necessary really! -------------   
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Posted By: kiwisj
Date Posted: 04 June 2010 at 6:31pm
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I call/ed my @@s boobs before I had C but I am like weegee (and other) and just referred to feeding as milk time or do you want some milk? Not sure what would have happened if I'd BFed C for longer, but I am a fan of BF being about the milk rather than about my boobs IYGWIM.
I HATE "tits" and "titty" with a passion. DH referred to my boobs as tits a couple of times when I first started BF (obviously a BF "word" to him) and I pulled him up on it straight away. I find "titty" really crass  ------------- SJ Callum - Dec 2008 Daniel - Oct 2010 |
Posted By: Kellz
Date Posted: 04 June 2010 at 7:28pm
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I agree an had tits or titty etc.
I dont have a problem with boobs tho. We mostly say 'he wants a feed' or a kai. I usually say to Isla ' Mummys going to feed your brother". Or when he crys she will say to me " Mum he needs your boobs!" |
Posted By: HoneybunsMa
Date Posted: 04 June 2010 at 7:47pm
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We use feed, or dudu. Like the Soloman islands the samoan word for milk is susu but DP would say dudu and it stuck. Think its the lazy way to say it maybe? Or I would say "fea ai?" meaning are you hungry or "fea nu?" would you like a drink. The only thing with dudu was that my SIL would say dudu for sleep, I think thats what it is in Tonga, and they grew up for a few years there and had a Tongan nanny. ------------- http://www.myfitnesspal.com/weight-loss-ticker"> 
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Posted By: High9
Date Posted: 04 June 2010 at 9:14pm
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I'm part Tongan!! But my gran grew up in Fiji, anyway on her side of the fam the all say dudu lol But I don't think it means anything in Fijian.
Dp family is Samoan and I've heard Lily's great Nana saying Fea ai and Fea nu, they also say the one for sleep which has skipped my mind. ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: mummyofprinces
Date Posted: 05 June 2010 at 12:39pm
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My IL's say dudu for sleep too.. but they are South African LOL
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Posted By: HoneybunsMa
Date Posted: 05 June 2010 at 9:32pm
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oh lol maybe then.
Fea moi for sleep, I use that too... my poor kid is learning three different languages, plus giberish that gets spoken here. ------------- http://www.myfitnesspal.com/weight-loss-ticker">
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Posted By: palomino
Date Posted: 06 June 2010 at 8:50am
| Another word that my grandma uses for it is Ninnys. Always makes me laugh if she asks if B needs some ninnys |
Posted By: T_Rex
Date Posted: 06 June 2010 at 9:13am
My mum calls it a snog 
It drives me nuts, seeing as she also uses the same word for pashing ------------- http://lilypie.com"> http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Ant
Date Posted: 06 June 2010 at 11:39am
That is a world of odd
Could be worth joking that you hope he's not doing *that* to your nipples ------------- http://lilypie.com"> http://lilypie.com"> http://lilypie.com">
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T_Rex wrote: