What does exclusively breastfeeding mean?
ByQuestion by Green Is Sexxxy: What does exclusively breastfeeding mean?
When I hear the term “exclusively breastfeeding” I think it means breastfeeding only…as in no bottles, no formula, no solids. But sometimes I hear people say “exclusively breastfed” and then in the next breath they talk about how their baby gets a bottle of expressed milk.
So my q…what is the correct definition of an “exclusively breastfed babby”
Please no insults to anyone, this is an honest q to clear things up in my head, just b/c I’m curious.
Thanks to all and Happy Sunday
=)
ok, please no thumbs down…lets keep this friendly =)
Best answer:
Answer by Do your own thinking.
“When I hear the term “exclusively breastfeeding” I think it means breastfeeding only…as in no bottles, no formula, no solids”
Yes.
Compare to “exclusively breastmilk fed,” for babies of pumping Moms…
edit: there is a discussion of this here: http://www.llli.org/ba/Feb00.html
and I am not correct in every context. But note in particular
“This newer set of definitions does not take into account:
•Impact of direct breastfeeding compared to indirect breast-milk feeding on maternal physiology and maintenance of milk supply
•The contrasting definitions used in research studies cited
•The immunological and other differences for the infant between breastfeeding and breast milk feeding.”
What do you think? Answer below!
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10 Comments
May 31st, 2011 at 8:09 pm
I think of it as just breast milk- regardless of the delivery system.
I don’t know if that is true, but that is what I consider it to mean. I’m not going to give someone a ration about semantics if they are pumping milk for their baby. That’s even harder work than nursing
Hahahahaha-Of course, DYOT had to educate me on that like a year ago. I used to think it just meant no formula. I used to say I wanted to exclusively breastfeed for 2 years. LMAO. What a dumbass, huh?!
May 31st, 2011 at 8:53 pm
The first thing that comes to my mind is the baby receiving breast milk 100% of the time…regardless of the form of delivery, boob or bottle. But apparantly I was wrong.
May 31st, 2011 at 9:08 pm
I think personally that it means that the baby drinks only breastmilk. No water, food, or formula milk.
Expressed milk is still from the breast so it is still exclusive : )
May 31st, 2011 at 9:54 pm
Exclusively breastfeeding is when the mother only gives the baby breast milk. It can come from the breast itself or she can pump her breastmilk into a bottle. She probably pumps into a bottle so that someone else i.e. the father can feed the baby as well. She means that she doesn’t use formula.
May 31st, 2011 at 10:28 pm
Exclusively breastfed means the baby is getting breast milk only no matter how it’s getting there. It simply means the baby isn’t getting any solids or formula.
May 31st, 2011 at 11:14 pm
It means that the baby only gets breast MILK. Some women pump and freeze breast milk and give it to the baby in bottles later. Usually they still nurse directly most of the time, but I do know one woman who fed her child entirely by pumping.
My daughter only wanted breast milk in the original container, thank you!
May 31st, 2011 at 11:55 pm
To me it means the baby havinng only breastmilk, whether it’s from the breast or the bottle, cuz i considered that i breastfed exclusively for the first 2 months of my son’s life, and after 4 week i started giving him some breastmilk in a bottle, but i still consider it exclusively breastfeeding, basically i think it depends on the person what they think it means lol.
Hope this helps,
.
June 1st, 2011 at 12:23 am
I guess I never thought of it as only ever having the breast.
I considered my daughter exclusively breastfed since she never had any other kind of formula or milk until she was over 1 year old. However, she had solid foods.
Interesting question, I will have to check back and see what others think
.
June 1st, 2011 at 12:58 am
Truly “exclusive” means that the baby has never had anything other than breastmilk as nourishment.
once a baby begins solids they may not be using formula but they are no longer exclusively breastfeeding. An occasional “breast bottle” might be within the scope of exclusive breastfeeding, but someone who pumps all the milk and the baby does not feed at the breast would be considered “exclusively pumping”.
Even a bottle or two of formula in the hospital disrupts the naturally present probiotics that are present in the babies digestive system. In some predisposed children this can set the baby up for later food allergies. In the truest since neither of my own children were “exclusively breastfeed” for this very reason. As a result my second child suffers multiple food allergies.
June 1st, 2011 at 1:33 am
Exclusively breastfed means that breastmilk is the sole source of nutrition for the baby–no solids and no formula.
Some moms use the term even if they are giving their milk in a bottle, but usually it’s meant as actual breastfeeding without bottles.
People don’t always know exactly what the terms they use mean, so don’t get upset if they misuse a word.