Jeanne notes,

<< She based her challenge on data from clients
 seen at the breastfeeding clinic in Denver where she was the pediatrician.
As
 I recall, the data showed that breastfed babies who lost 7% or more of their
 birth weight in the first week of life were more likely to have breastfeeding
 problems/failure than were those who loss less than 7%.  Neifert has written
 articles and made many presentations based on these data and, I feel, has
 helped us to develop a "red flag" approach to weight loss. >>

Has/does ANYONE look at what happened during the birth process or are we only
looking at what the scale says?  There can be a transfer of fluid if the mom
was (a) on Pitocin (b) had an epidural (c) got lots of fluid overload during
the labor (there's an article about that in Birth awhile back).  Pitocin is an
antidiuretic. Some mothers retain fluid when they have been induced -- and
most moms who are induced get an epidural early on -- and those who get an
epidural early on likely get extra IV fluids.  Do we think NONE of this
affects the baby?  Why do we only look at the numbers instead of looking at
the baby and see if there is truly a problem?  What would this baby's weight
have been had he been born at home without IV fluids, without Pitocin, without
an epidural?  Would it have been the same?  Let's look at how much he is
peeing....

Now, if the baby isn't eating, that's another issue.  But I've seen mothers
who have been told to supplement because the baby is at 8 or 9 or 10% below
birth weight.  Punkin is bright, alert, healthy, with moist mucus membranes,
eating WELL -- and yet has lost x% in x period of time, so assumptions are
made -- and it is NEVER that the scale could be wrong, or the reader of said
scale could be wrong, or that mom got something in labor that caused fluid
overload.

Scuse the rant -- I've just seen too many bf moms & babies get screwed because
of this "rule."

ARGHHHH,

Jan -- in Wheaton whre there is still a lot of snow, but the sun is out and it
feels like January 12 instead of March 12.