On Sun, 3 Sep 2000, Phyllis asks for a clarification about a situation she
has observed.

I think this situation is correctly labeled mismanagement based on
ignorance.

By this 'reasoning', I can simply extend the duration of my own mealtimes to
exceed 30 minutes and I will lose weight, and the fastest way to slim down
would be to eat continuously!

Without knowing what the baby is taking in, one can draw absolutely no
conclusions about energy balance.  It is a safe bet that the baby who had
spent 20 of his allotted 30 minutes learning to latch was taking in close to
nothing those first 20 minutes.  My preference, given a stable baby, would
have been to let him finish up what he started and rely on general
observations as a measure of the adequacy of intake, including net weight no
more frequently than once in 24 hours.  If this guy were unlucky enough to
have drunk 45 ml in one session at the breast, would they have aspirated 8
ml out of his stomach and discarded it?  On second thought, do I want to
know the answer to that question?  Poor baby!

Rachel Myr
Kristiansand, Norway

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