Hi everyone
 I'll reintroduce myself, since I've been lurking a long time. My name
is Deborah and I'm an RN in a small rural community hospital. Just sat
for "the exam" in July and still waiting for the results! But in the
meantime, my job of counseling breast feeding moms continues as well as
running a weekly support group for new mothers in our community. The
other day I got a call from a mom whose baby was 5 days old, who had
delivered at a larger hospital. SHe had breast fed her first baby for 2
months. Apparently, she was told by the LC that her baby had lost too
much weight (baby had only lost 9% of birth weight) and that she needed
to supplement with formula after each feed. By the time I spoke with
this mom her milk was in, but she was still supplementing after each
feed. From what I could tell, the baby was satisfied after feeding at
the breast, but mom felt it was important to follow instructions she'd
been given. The reason mom called me is because she was concerned about
her milk supply (smart woman!) I suggested she forgo the formula and
that she could come in to our birthing center and weigh the baby
everyday if she wanted to. She was ecstatic with that plan, and that is
what we're doing.
   I guess I'm just really confused as to why supplementation was
recommended instead of close observation and follow up with not even a
10% weight loss in a full term infant.
   And if supplementation was deemed medically necessary, why this mom
was told that a supplementation system at breast would have been "too
much hassle" for her (because she has a two year old) and the LC
recommended a bottle instead.

Just sign me:
   Dazed and confused in New Hampshire
PS  maybe if formula had the same kind of warning from the surgeon
general that cigarettes do people would think twice in a case like this!

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