Hi
I was delighted to see Jan Riordan's article in the November 2005 JHL, which reached me a week ago, as it validates the observations to assess milk transfer used for years by experienced IBCLCs and others in Australia and the UK.  
Riordan J, Gill-Hopple K. Indicators of effective breastfeeding and estimates of breast milk intake. JHL 2005:21(4):406-412.
Now that the numbers have been crunched, I hope this will convince doubters that the use of well-honed clinical skills and judgment is valid.  Whichever method is used, I hope people will remember that other infant indicators continue to need to be noted, to support the evidence from a single feed, i.e. urinary and faecal output, growth, skin tone, alertness, etc.
Years ago in Australia, too often assessment of breastfeeding adequacy had slipped into a lazy dependence on a single test weigh and the previous week's weight gain, with other indicators largely ignored (quite apart from a lack of understanding of varying milk yields from feed to feed).  Anywhere that scales have become the main or only guide, skills in other observations can be lost - but they can be taught and learnt.
Cheers
Virginia
in rainy Brisbane

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