I've been following the test weight thread with a lot of interest.  I'm a LLLL so I am not dealing with moms in a clinical setting.  However, it occurred to me that the countries where test weighs seem to be unpopular are ones that have socialized medicine.  It's always impressed me how seriously people take breastfeeding in countries with socialized medicine.  Because not breastfeeding costs tons of money to everyone I would venture a guess that the health care providers in such a place might have a bit more thorough understanding of lactation than they do in the US.  Especially where I help moms there is a genuine disconnect with HCP's.  This puts a lot of our local private practice IBCLC's in the position of "catching" medical problems that unfortunately our doctors miss.  I'd also venture a guess that there are fewer birth interventions in countries with socialized medicine.  Our rate of intervention could account for the necessity of high intervention rates (including test weighs) in breastfeeding.  In the US nobody gets paid to stand around and allow a woman to have a normal birth.  Perhaps this is where the cultural difference lies?  
Respectfully,
Elizabeth Howell, LLLL Queens, NY, USA

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