breastfeed

verb

breast·​feed ˈbrest-ˌfēd 

variants or breast-feed

breastfed or breast-fed; breastfeeding or breast-feeding; breastfeeds or breast-feeds

transitive verb

: to feed (a baby) from a mother's breast

intransitive verb

1

: to breastfeed a baby

… more women are breastfeeding than ever before …

—Lauren Sandler

2

of a baby : to feed oneself by sucking milk from a mother's breast

breastfed adjective

or breast-fed

breastfed babies

breastfeeder noun

or breast-feeder

breastfeeding noun

or breast-feeding

Synonyms

• nurse
• suckle
• wet-nurse

Examples of breastfeed in a Sentence

believes that all women should breast-feed their babies

Recent Examples on the Web

Juli Duvall-Jones, who oversees an HIV clinic in eastern Ivory Coast, told me that the pregnant women her clinic serves are no longer receiving their daily treatment, meaning that some children will almost certainly contract HIV during birth or through breastfeeding. —Hana Kiros, The Atlantic, 5 Feb. 2025

Its free mobile app helps breastfeeding parents identify, access and review more than 10,000 lactation spaces nationwide. —Dan D'ambrosio, USA TODAY, 3 Feb. 2025

People who are pregnant or breastfeeding should not take valerian.64 3. —Kirstyn Hill, Pharmd, Mph, Health, 3 Feb. 2025

Pregnancy and breastfeeding: People who are pregnant or breastfeeding should consult their healthcare provider before starting a magnesium supplement. —Amy Brownstein, Ms, Rdn, Verywell Health, 13 Jan. 2025

The class covers what to expect when initiating breastfeeding, skin-to-skin holding, positioning, deep latch techniques, pumps and pumping, and basic troubleshooting. — A Ready for Baby newborn care class takes place from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays. —Orlando Sentinel Staff, Orlando Sentinel, 29 Jan. 2025

Pregnant and breastfeeding women sharing toilets in crowded spaces are especially vulnerable to infections including UTIs, which can lead to preterm labor, low birth weight, and stillbirths, according to Al Shurafa, a program officer for MAP. —Ibrahim Dahman, CNN, 28 Jan. 2025

And, bolstered by supporters, the mom was indeed successful in getting the Alabama Supreme Court to issue an administrative order excusing breastfeeding people, per local news outlet, KFYR-TV. —Melissa Willets, Parents, 27 Jan. 2025

Babies delivered by midwives are more likely to be born vaginally, less likely to require intensive care, and more likely to breastfeed, the California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative has found. —Ronnie Cohen, Sacramento Bee, 8 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1869, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Kids Definition

breast-feed

verb

ˈbrest-ˌfēd

breast-fed

-ˌfed

; breast-feeding

: to feed a baby from a mother's breast

Medical Definition

breastfeed

verb

breast·​feed

variants or breast-feed

ˈbrest-ˌfēd

breastfed or breast-fed; breastfeeding or breast-feeding; breastfeeds or breast-feeds

transitive verb

: to feed (a baby) from a mother's breast

intransitive verb

1

: to breastfeed a baby

2

of a baby : to feed oneself by sucking milk from a mother's breast

breastfed adjective

or breast-fed

breastfed babies

breastfeeder noun

or breast-feeder

This class for first-time breastfeeders will be from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.

—The Reno (Nevada) Gazette-Journal

On average, infants who were exclusive breast-feeders continued to drink more as they got older …

—The Philadelphia Inquirer

breastfeeding noun

or breast-feeding