Lea, thank you for your story.  Of course it is true that some babies find a way to effectively transfer milk regardless of tongue tie and we don't yet know what makes the difference for these kids. 
However, there is another point here that I think is important.  Lea wrote:

> I gave him a bottle of formula. ...
> My son had his tongue tie! Patience and flexibility paid off and after the first 2 weeks my son was exclusively breastfed until the day he swiped a chicken bone off my plate.

However, Lea's baby was not exclusively breastfed.  Exclusively breastfed means that the baby was fed nothing but human milk (with the exception of medicines, multivitamin/mineral supplements and ceremonial teas) between birth and whatever age we are discussing.  From the point at which infant formula was given, exclusive breastfeeding was terminated.  
My own situation was similar.  My first son was fed infant formula in hospital when I went to give a eulogy at my stepfather's funeral.  As a result he was exclusively breastfed for less than three days.  From that point on, he was fed only breastfed but exclusive breastfeeding is an all or nothing deal and giving him a bottle of formula rang a bell that couldn't be un-rung.
At risk of being labelled a pedant, I think it is important that we, the lactation professionals, are careful to use the terminology accurately.  I have to say I am liking the term 'exclusive breastfeeding' less and less.  It holds too much ambiguity for our purposes.
cheers
Nina Berry
Australia
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