I missed a day of posts, I see, including this entire thread.  i can't
see that anyone has commented on this baby's low birth weight.  5 lb 4
oz at birth is 2.39 kg.  In my experience babies this size frequently
appear to feeding more effectively than they are.  Was the baby born
at term, in which case baby seems to have been growth restricted in
utero?  Or is this a premature baby whose weight is appropriate for
gestational age but baby is not really mature?   I would really want
to know more about what is happening at the breast.  I agree with
Laurie, he seems to be taking in enough to prevent loss but not enough
to gain - yet.  But I've seen a lot of low birthweight babies stand
still around their lowest weight for about a week before the mother
notices a distinct change in the baby's persistence and effectiveness
at the breast, and they start gaining normally. This baby has passed
its birthweight but we aren't told whether baby was supplemented
during the first days, and if so, with what, or was feeding
exclusively at breast all along.  Sometimes LBW babies need a little
nudging to start gaining, and most of the time the mother at such an
early stage still has plenty of milk to express and feed in addition
to BF.  If there was supplementation from birth which has now stopped,
it might take a little time before mother's production is up to where
it needs to be.  She needs close enough follow up so she can avoid
unnecessary supplements or intervention on the one hand, and avoid
ending up with a drop in supply and a compromised child on the other.
The frequency of checks described here sounds safe to me.
I also want to commend Lisa personally for the way she is handling
this, in close collaboration with health care providers, and asking
for input from the list so she further improves her own skills.  It's
a big responsibility to be providing interim help when the health
services aren't accessible enough, so it's reassuring when the peer
counselor is as conscientious as she is.

Rachel Myr
Kristiansand, Norway

             ***********************************************

Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html
To reach list owners: [log in to unmask]
Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask]
COMMANDS:
1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail
2. To start it again: set lactnet mail
3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome