<<so that one can more accurately estimate intake as 1 gram of weight increase is equivalent to 1 cc of milk intake. >> I don't want to appear stupid or argumentative here but there is something that has always bothered me about pre and post weights. Has anyone ever documented that one fluid cc of BREASTMILK is equal to one gram of weight? I know that is true for water because that's how the measurement was determined. But does it hold true for other liquids? Does foremilk weigh more then hind milk or vice versa depending on the fat content? Does a fluid ounce of formula equal an ounce of weight? Are there studies that show how much human milk weighs from actually weighing the milk itself? Does the amount of space a liquid takes up vary according to what the liquid is? If I draw up 30 cc of cooking oil in a syringe is it going to weigh an ounce? This isn't one of those pound of feathers verses a pound of lead questions because obviously a pound of feathers would take up more SPACE then a pound of lead. Also can a baby have insensible water losses while nursing (I know mine sweat like crazy) that would alter the weight and therefore leave even more room for doubt on estimated intake? It's been forever since I was in a class that would even lend itself to a discussion about the differences if there are any. If I knew the answer at one time it has LONG been buried in my mind. The reason I am asking is that I just got off the phone with yet another woman who has become obsessive compulsive over the baby's pre and post weights. She rented the scale after her baby lost more then 10 percent of her body weight in the first few days. Well, the baby is now 8 weeks old and mom is still doing pre and post weights. If the baby hasn't gained the number of ounces she thinks baby should, she supplements with expressed milk or formula. She plans to rent the scale for a while longer. Her baby has gained in leaps and bounds. Since the initial loss baby has gained nearly four pounds. I am afraid that she is wearing herself out with this obsession (she even weighs the baby before after night feedings and says she gets about 3 hours of sleep per night). This mom has 6 other kids to take care of. I have run into this with moms of premies that were in the NICU who pump and bottle feed because they just have to know how much the baby is getting. Does this happen because well meaning HCP's make a big deal of how much the premie is taking in a bottle feeding as a sign that the baby is advancing? DO our interventions and measurements leave the parents at risk for "vulnerable child syndrome?" Marie Davis, RN IBCLC *********************************************** The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM) mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html