Dear all:

I've been doing support groups since 1999.  With and without the scale.  I think how the 
scale is interpreted and used in the group is highly dependent on two things:

1) The culture
2) How the scale is used by the group facilitator

I'd have to agree with Debbie about how mothers in our groups respond.  The most 
spectacular success was a baby who was six weeks old and at birth weight.  The 
grandmother had been giving this mother grief about "starving her baby" on breast milk 
and so this mother couldn't hear what her mother was saying because her mother was 
biased against breastfeeding.  Her baby was born early and small.  From the other 
mothers in the group she was better able to recuperate from a situation in which her 
small early baby was not driving the supply.  The two are doing beautifully now. The 
scale verified what she had been unable to see about her baby's weight, but the mothers 
in the group ALSO gave her the ability to understand that it was not breastfeeding that 
was the problem --- it was merely giving her baby an extra boost until he was better at 
driving the supply.  

I always try to use the scale as a teaching tool to reinforce mothers own observations.  I 
must repeat a zillion times that "see, you already observed what we verified with the 
scale" and then repeat to her what she told me about her baby's feeding.  In rare cases, I 
have to use the scale to alleviate mother's fears about the baby not taking enough --- 
mostly with three month olds who are downing their milk quickly.  That's about the only 
time I find mother's observations are less reliable.  Then we talk about "developmental 
leaps" and how to keep  an eye on those so they don't feel insecure when their babies 
"develop" and behave differently.

Numbers cannot be the primary focus.

Best, Susan Burger

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