Heather,
I did not mean to imply that families that do not practice attachment
parenting get the test weights. <<I can't go along with your further
implication  that it's only safe not to do test weighing if the parents are
into  attachment parenting.....and bcause most aren't, it's either
justifiable or necessary.>>

I was merely pointing out that "natural or physiologic bf" [which I guess I
lumped together with "attachment parenting"] would make for many less bf
problems and therefore consultations. I second what Jan said in her latest
post on test wts. They are not done routinely and they are not done at all
in hospital, nor for everyone who comes in for a consultation due to a bf
problem. But like Jan said, when they come in for a consultation it is
because there is a PROBLEM. Some of these consults are very simple. Mother
has nipple pain and/or trauma and when you observe the feeding you see the
positioning and latch are far from optimal. Baby may have lost weight, be
low on the dirty diapers, but Mother is full of milk. When you teach optimal
postion/latch, the baby gulps and the mom feels much more comfortable. Then
basically, you send them on their merry way and make a followup call. [Yes
the basics are the nuts and bolts of bf care]. Some consultations are much
more complex. Therefore, in selected cases I feel pre/post feed wts do
contribute to the total assessment of the mother\baby dyad.

Laurie Wheeler, RN, MN, IBCLC
Violet Louisiana, s.e. USA

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