Silly question about EBF

Mama_SAS

I'm assuming this means exclusively breast fed. (Please correct me if I'm wrong.)

If someone says EBF until 1 year does this mean that they just didn't use formula or that they didn't introduce any other food until 1 year? 

Just curious. TIA

crownedbee

Didn't use formula.

And at that point they probably switched to whole milk and the child never had formula at all.

Brooke81

I still have my badge up but for me it means no formula (or other types of milk). we started solids at 6 1/2 months.

There might be people that really only BF at a year if their child refuses to eat solids. I know of a few people that really are having trouble getting LO interested in solids.

EBF can also occasionally mean extended breast feeding as in past 1 year. 

Mama_SAS

OK, thanks.

Someone made a comment about kids not needing anything more than breast milk for the first year so I wondered what exactly EBF stood for. I thought it was no formula but then I got curious. 

Then I saw someone had EBF for 2 years and I couldn't imagine avoiding solids for that long.  

Lambie.

Strictly speaking, it means your baby isn't getting anything but breast milk. Weaning starts when you start supplementing with formula and/or solids. That doesn't seem to be what people take it to be around these parts though.

Mama_SAS

Lambie.:

Strictly speaking, it means your baby isn't getting anything but breast milk. Weaning starts when you start supplementing with formula and/or solids. That doesn't seem to be what people take it to be around these parts though.

So my confusion was valid! Thanks! 

Mama_SAS

fredalina:

It's context driven.  If you're buying a diaper and someone says it was only used by an EBF baby, it means no solids.

If used in context of a baby over 6 or 8 months, they probably mean no formula but yes solids.  (Technically this is misused but whatever).

If used in context of a toddler, it may mean extended breastfeeding.  "Extended" in the U.S. is over 12 months.  Most likely they are on solids.  There are some kids with feeding issues, though, so it may not.

So basically I should make no assumptions except that the baby got breast milk.

I don't really care how people feed their babies but I was curious as to what it meant. I probably should have said that I can't imagine not feeding solids to a typically developing toddler, though I'm sure some people do it.