My understanding of "exclusive breastfeeding" is that nothing but the breast is feeding the child.  Nothing.  For me that would also mean no pacifier.

Perhaps it would be more helpful, and certainly more clear, if you have an extra category or two, and define your terms.  I would find it quite interesting to look at a stat for truly exclusive breastfeeding and another stat for babies who are fully breastfeeding on discharge but have had a detour (formula, meds, whatever).  It would be interesting to watch those numbers change over time, perhaps due to policy/practice changes.  

I do think it matters to differentiate between non-exclusive due to formula and non-exclusive due to meds.

Whatever you do, it's important to define the terms as you are using them.

Susan Johnson MFA, IBCLC
Salt Lake City, Utah USA

Recently the discussion has come up at my hospital on the meaning of
=93exclusive breastfeeding=94 for statistical purposes.  On discharge, wo=
uld you
say a baby is exclusively breastfed if the mom is still breastfeeding eve=
n
if the baby received formula for medical reasons such as low blood glucos=
e,
jaundice, etc. or is =93exclusively breastfeeding=94 reserved for a baby =
who has
ONLY received breastmilk?  Thanks in advance for your input.

Carrie Thayer RN, BSN, IBCLC
Southern California, USA



      

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