Hi Michele,
As a Former WIC Breastfeeding Program Administrator, I can say that our  
in-clinic Lactation Specialists did weigh babies - in some clinics. (Our Peer  
Counselors did phone helping only).
It was definitely dependent on each clinic and the staffing at that  clinic.
We also found the flexibility of work hours and the foreign concept of  
being on call 24/7 caused much confusion and some crazy-making in clinic staff, 
 especially nurses.
I found it helpful to frequently bemoan the not-so-pleasant aspects of the  
Lactation Specialist position... it seemed to help the nurses at some 
clinics  grasp that while the LS was coming in 2 hours after they did and leaving 
 sometimes 2 hours before they did... that she may have also taken 4-6 
helping  calls throughout the night while the nurse was enjoying dinner with her 
family  and sleeping.
The weighing bit we just did our best to adapt for. In some cases, as the  
nurses grew tired of weighing all those "extra" babies, they allowed the LS 
to  weigh.
I imagine it varies most based upon each specific clinic and the attitudes  
of its staff.
Laura Goodwin-Wright
 
 
 
 
------------------------------

Date:    Mon, 28 Feb 2011  16:24:48 -0800
From:    Michele Crockett  <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: WIC Peer Counselors

I have a  question for WIC Peer Counselors and their administrators....

Are Peer  Counselors 'permitted' to weigh babies?  Not test weights before
and  after feeds but general check to see how babies are doing and to aid  
in
making referrals early if there are problems.

The agency I work  with is very flexible and a non-profit so not as much
overhead or territory  guarding.  We recently partnered with another near by
agency and they  are not permitting the Peer Counselors to weigh babies.
They have taken the  issue to our state office which is now considering a
policy not permitting  Peer Counselors throughout the state to weigh
babies...  I am feeling  that this is a disservice to the Peers and
especially eliminates a basic  evaluation tool.  Not to mention that 90% of
the time the client thinks  she doesn't have enough milk and then baby is
weighed is gaining well  reassuring the client. What has been shared with me
is that other staff (read  nurses) have such strict guidelines of what is
their scope of practice that  the flexibility built into the PC program is
driving them nuts.  But  shouldn't this be about protecting babies???  I
would appreciate hearing  other points of view--hopefully beyond staff
guarding their own  territories.
Thanks,
Michele Crockett, IBCLC, LLLL, PCPA
unnamed WIC  agency and state!

             ***********************************************

Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html
To reach list owners: [log in to unmask]
Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask]
COMMANDS:
1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail
2. To start it again: set lactnet mail
3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome