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Wed, 31 May 2006 10:08:18 EDT |
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I've been off LACTNET for awhile, but did notice the thread on test weighing.
There is a skill to test weighing that is not to be underestimated. It is
crucial to look at the whole picture, not just the final number (even though
the mother may just see the final number). The rate at which the baby takes
the volume, the "number of breasts" the feeding required (i.e.,
switch-nursing), how long it had been since the last feeding, etc. I've had mothers with
insufficient glandular tissue have good feedings at the scale--my first question
to them was "when did you last pump?" It turns out that some of them
(unconscious wish?) had "accidentally" missed the prior pumping session or had gone
a long stretch (like 6 hours). So what I was seeing was really a false
supply. I've seen other babies take 4.5 oz at the breast, but still have
determined that the woman's supply is low--you have to look at the whole picture and
use test weights as a piece of the puzzle. I think that some LC's do not know
what to do with the information they are presented with as a result of the
test weight; these tend to be the practitioners who trivialize the use of the
scale. I've been out of the loop on lactation education for awhile--have there
been any substantive talks/lectures on complicated situations and scale use?
Heather Kelly, MA, IBCLC
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