I have a question for WIC Peer Counselors and their administrators....

Are Peer Counselors 'permitted' to weigh babies?  Not test weights before
and after feeds but general check to see how babies are doing and to aid in
making referrals early if there are problems.

The agency I work with is very flexible and a non-profit so not as much
overhead or territory guarding.  We recently partnered with another near by
agency and they are not permitting the Peer Counselors to weigh babies.
They have taken the issue to our state office which is now considering a
policy not permitting Peer Counselors throughout the state to weigh
babies...  I am feeling that this is a disservice to the Peers and
especially eliminates a basic evaluation tool.  Not to mention that 90% of
the time the client thinks she doesn't have enough milk and then baby is
weighed is gaining well reassuring the client. What has been shared with me
is that other staff (read nurses) have such strict guidelines of what is
their scope of practice that the flexibility built into the PC program is
driving them nuts.  But shouldn't this be about protecting babies???  I
would appreciate hearing other points of view--hopefully beyond staff
guarding their own territories.
Thanks,
Michele Crockett, IBCLC, LLLL, PCPA
unnamed WIC agency and state!

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