Interesting to read that in a hospital group 'Their favourite part was weighing
ALL the babies'.

In this country (UK) we have community midwives who visit for the first 10 days
or so, and health visitors -- community nurses-- who also visit and who run
weekly clinics at the local doctor's surgery.  Mothers have babies weighed,
often at weekly intervals, as a matter of course.

I know that in the US women have different back-up services.  Is there no system
of regular weighings anyway (out of curiosity)?

Weighing can be a tremendous source of reassurance, but, as a lay breastfeding
supporter, I cannot count how many times these weighings have undermined women.
Also, they encourage all of us to view breastfeeding as a measurable, finite
benefit to babies.  OF COURSE  many benefits of breastfeeding are measurable,
but so many of the pleasures and 'mental health' benefits for mother and baby
are unquantifiable.  In my experience of the UK system, the weight gain and the
dreaded 'centile charts' can often be used as an absolute rule "You cannot
continue to breastfeed because your baby fell below the nth centile" (insert
randomly chosen arbitrary figure for 'n')!!!

What about baby, too, who is gaining really well, but feeding "all" the time, or
there is other difficulty perceived by mother.  Her concerns (in my UK
expereince, anyway, including personal) can be dismissed 'because the baby is
fine'.

Also, sadly, weight comparisons are one way mothers can undermine each other.

Weight gain is one indicator of baby's health, not main or only indicator.

If all the mothers like the weighings, fine.  In fact I am very intrigued to
know *why*
they enjoy it so much!!!

magda sachs