<<Now there is a 5a...Exclusive Breastfeeding considering the mother's choice.>>

It seems to me that 5a tells us something very different to 5, but equally important.

Out of a group of moms, eg 100 as you calculated:
If 20 of them exclusively breastfeeds,  ie 20%,  that sounds low.
However if only 20 of them *wanted* to breastfeed and succeeded, then you are doing a great job postnatally.
If 99 had wanted to breastfeed and only 20 succeeded, then something needs to change.    So using mother’s choice is instructive.

Will be interesting to use this data in another way: WHY would so many choose not to breastfeed?  How much further do we have to go back in the system (back to primary school education?) to allow mothers to retain their innate instincts to breastfeed?

I say this having spoken yesterday to a mother with a baby recovering from NEC and yet choosing to turn from no-cost-to-her donor milk to the powdered non-human option.    I know she is discouraged at losing her supply during the NEC surgery (another hospital) but the system certainly failed her.

Best wishes
Jacquie Nutt IBCLC

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