I think breastfeeding helpers who are working mostly with a well baby
population, should only very rarely think about doing a "test" weight. I
think the example of a dyad where it seems (by all other usual means of
assessing) that there is good milk production and good milk intake, but
still the baby is not gaining weight, was an excellent example of when a
competent and thoughtful bf helper would do such a test weight. It would be
one part of the puzzle, as sick babies with metabolic problems or cystic
fibrosis, usually will have other signs or symptoms.

I think if you are working with sick or hospitalized premature infants, you
might use 'test' weights much more often. In those cases there is research
to show they were helpful in gauging how much a baby transferred and how
much of pumped milk must be given after the breastfeeding. Research shows,
as has been stated in other posts, that mothers did not find this
off-putting but helped their breastfeeding and mothering skills to progress
along with their babies.

Getting back to the well babies, I think that bf helpers who are routinely
doing test weights (at an early follow-up visit or drop-in clinic, for
example), are perhaps not very good overall assessors of the whole bf
picture, and perhaps not very good listeners (or maybe don't have the time?
or take the time?). I think this would be very unfortunate because the
mothers would not get good overall counseling on the "gestalt" of
breastfeeding.

Laurie Wheeler RN MN IBCLC
Mississippi USA

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