Helen says,
> For the hospital LCs. What are your thoughts on the H....... Newborn Flow
> Records?  Under the breastfeeding section, we are to document the length of
> feeds. IMO, I am pleased to know that the baby latched and suckled for 3,
> 5, 7, 9 minutes on the first or second days of life.
>

But what difference does the length of time make?  Do we document how long
mom eats lunch, for example, or on the formula fed infant, how long it took
him to take whatever out of a bottle?  While I agree that it is quite
gratifying to know that a baby suckled for 5 or 8 minutes, what information
does that give us?  We have no idea if he took 1/2 ounce, 1 ounce, or just
hung out at the breastaurant and transferred not much of anything.

That's why I've never understood why we are interested at all in the length
of time a baby is at the breast.  I'm sure it must go back to the very old,
and very inaccurate "study" (I use the term advisedly) that says the breast
is 70% empty in the first 5 minutes and virtually all empty in the next three
(or something like that).  We all know that study (or whatever it was -- I
remember seeing the little chart in a breastfeeding booklet somewhere).

Now granted, if a baby is nursing vigorously, mom is MERing quickly, and he's
gulping and swallowing the entire feed -- he'll take more milk in 9 minutes
than he will if taken off the breast in 4 minutes.  But a baby that is
latched on and suckling (and swallowing) for 5 minutes (and comes off) is
just as effective as a baby that is latched on and suckling and swallowing
for 5 minutes and hanging out for another 10 minutes.  But we all feel that
baby 2 has breastfed *better* because he's been on for 15 minutes vs. baby 1
who has only been on for 5.

This happens to be one of my pet peeves.  And yes, I do give moms a
breastfeeding diary for them to note numbers of feeds, voids & stools.  And
no, I don't care about the color of the stools -- just want to know baby is
having enough of them.  Is there a study to indicate that babies need to eat
a certain number of times in 24 hours to gain weight?  No, I don't think so.
But I have found, IME (in my experience) of 15+ years doing solely lactation
consulting that the babies that are breastfeeding fewer than 8x/24 hours
(with some rare exceptions) and/or have fewer than 3-4 poopy diapers in 24
hours in the first few weeks are generally the babies that aren't gaining
well.  There *are* some exceptions to that.  Most of the moms where I live
love to use the diaries -- it's quite reassuring for them.

But I don't worry about length of time at the breast unless the mother tells
me that punkin falls asleep immediately upon going to the breast, or latches
on and comes off repeatedly -- in which case, he probably isn't latched on at
all anyway.

Jan B -- back in Wheaton where it looks as though I'll finally truly have to
get out my coat.

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