Coach Smith jumping in here.

Last year I dug through at least 15 source books - pediatric texts,
maternity/nursing texts, LC texts, WHO and UNICEF guidelines, etc to find
criteria for supplementing, deciding whether the baby was OK, etc.  The 10%
weight loss figure is far from universally accepted, and as far as I could
tell is NOT well documented. Most sources I examined would tolerate a baby's
5-10% weight loss before becoming excited.  No source was worried if the
weight loss was under 5%; no source advised only watchful waiting if over
15%. However, the sources also listed other criteria for deciding whether a
baby was "doing well." These criteria included poops, pees, general
behavior, color, how the baby "looked", whether he fed well or not, etc. The
professional was expected to use several criteria for making a decision
whether or not to intervene with what the mother was trying/doing.

Sure, weigh the baby. Why not? Weight is one indicator of what's going on.
Just don't stop there! Watch the baby feed - and I mean the ENTIRE feeding -
for quality and quantity and rhythm etc of the process. Take a thorough
history. LOOK at the entire baby - including making eye contact with
him/her. Babies eyes tell enormously important stories. Do other tests,
observations, etc as the situation calls for. THIS is professional
behavior - to carefully gather lots of data, weigh all the factors (no pun
intended), consider the social and emotional context, and offer options to
the mother. First, do no harm. Make sure that anything you suggest is not
going to make the situation worse for the baby, who is the most vulnerable
member of the breastfeeding team. Or for the mother, who will be responsible
for this baby for the next 20 minutes, 20 weeks, 20 years and whose body is
the baby's source of food and immune function for the next half year at
least. Their relationship is fragile too, and carelessly interfering with it
can have serious consequences.

It's a balancing act. We walk a fine line in helping many of our mother-baby
clients. Too little intervention, and we may put someone in jeopardy. Too
much intervention, and we may put someone in jeopardy. This is why we need
to work together, keep reading and studying, and never allow ourselves to
become arrogant about how much we know. Just when we think we know something
about breastfeeding..... the next mom or baby will challenge our complacency
once again. And someone ELSE will have a piece to the puzzle that we don't
have.

Happy holidays to all!

Linda J. Smith, BSE, FACCE, IBCLC
Bright Future Lactation Resource Centre
Dayton, OH USA
http://www.bflrc.com