I have seen posts on lactnet talking about women supplementing with formula
or other and then returning to exclusive breastfeeding.

We need another term either for exclusive breastfeeding (either WHO or
Interagency Group) from birth until point x, or for returning, after the
introduction of another substance, to exclusive breastfeeding / breast milk
feeding.  In the latter case, for purposes of, say, thinking about the risk
of the baby developing atopic disease (if the substance given was another
animal milk), hiv, etc etc. we need to distinguish between the two.  These
are research type definitions, and I am not proposing that we start saying
to mums 'well you are not ebf becasue the baby had a bottle in the
hopsital', but we shoudl be aware that the baby's gut could have been
changed forever by that bottle and in our own minds as we observe and
discuss these babies, we need to distinguish.

So, please, which are we calling exclusive breastfeeding?  And what are we
calling the other?

Magda Sachs
Breastfeeding Supporter, BfN, UK

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