breastfeed
verb
breast·feed
ˈbrest-ˌfēd 
variants
or breast-feed
breastfed or breast-fed; breastfeeding or breast-feeding; breastfeeds or breast-feeds
: to feed (a baby) from a mother's breast
1
: to breastfeed a baby
… more women are breastfeeding than ever before …—
Lauren Sandler
Lauren Sandler2
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
Examples of breastfeed in a Sentence
believes that all women should breast-feed their babies
Recent Examples on the Web
Most adults need 55 micrograms of the mineral per day, though people who are pregnant and breastfeeding need 60 to 70 mcg.
—Kathleen Ferraro, Verywell Health, 19 May 2025
It is hoped that the technology could ultimately be integrated into garments such as breastfeeding bras.
—Ben Coxworth, New Atlas, 17 May 2025
For most healthy adult women, a daily intake of 1,800 to 2,200 calories is considered a baseline, with needs increasing for those who are very active, breastfeeding, or recovering from restrictive diets.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 May 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, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 May 2025
Provide education and resources for both pregnancy and motherhood, including birth planning, breastfeeding, newborn care, and more.
—Dominique Fluker, Essence, 10 May 2025
The technologies of pumping and refrigeration, so essential to balancing work and breastfeeding today, were not yet widely available.
— Made By History, Time, 29 Apr. 2025
Hospitals have reported that cases of malnourished pregnant and breastfeeding women are rising sharply, and most newborns are now being born underweight.
—Wafaa Shurafa, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2025
Hospitals have reported that cases of malnourished pregnant and breastfeeding women are rising sharply, and most babies are now being born underweight.
—Elena Becatoros, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Kathleen Ferraro, Verywell Health, 19 May 2025
It is hoped that the technology could ultimately be integrated into garments such as breastfeeding bras.
—Ben Coxworth, New Atlas, 17 May 2025
For most healthy adult women, a daily intake of 1,800 to 2,200 calories is considered a baseline, with needs increasing for those who are very active, breastfeeding, or recovering from restrictive diets.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 May 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, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 May 2025
Provide education and resources for both pregnancy and motherhood, including birth planning, breastfeeding, newborn care, and more.
—Dominique Fluker, Essence, 10 May 2025
The technologies of pumping and refrigeration, so essential to balancing work and breastfeeding today, were not yet widely available.
— Made By History, Time, 29 Apr. 2025
Hospitals have reported that cases of malnourished pregnant and breastfeeding women are rising sharply, and most newborns are now being born underweight.
—Wafaa Shurafa, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2025
Hospitals have reported that cases of malnourished pregnant and breastfeeding women are rising sharply, and most babies are now being born underweight.
—Elena Becatoros, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Breastfeed.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/breastfeed. Accessed 25 May. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
breastfeed
verb
breast·feed
variants
or breast-feed
ˈbrest-ˌfēd
breastfed or breast-fed; breastfeeding or breast-feeding; breastfeeds or breast-feeds
: to feed (a baby) from a mother's breast
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
The Reno (Nevada) Gazette-Journal
On average, infants who were exclusive breast-feeders continued to drink more as they got older …
—The Philadelphia Inquirer
The Philadelphia Inquirer
breastfeeding
noun
or breast-feeding
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share