Kathe Catone wrote:

> Ive found that instead of stressing the mom, that pre & post feeds relieve
>Mom's concerns about baby getting enough, not knowing how much to complement
>with, etc.

<snip>

>(In these cases, my mom's chart breastfeed intake, f/f (finger feeding)
>intake, Pumping time & amts, and wet/stool diapers.)  I think that one of
the
>reasons these things don't stress moms in this situation is that they've
felt
>*so* helpless, out of control, scared, etc.  Finger feeding, pre/post feed
>weighing, & charting give's them back some of that confidence they've lost

I agree.  The moms I see *know* things aren't going well.  They're already
scared and shaken.  The comment I hear from parents most often at the end of
the first visit is, "We feel so much better!  We knew something was wrong,
but we didn't know what to do about it.  Now we have a plan."  I don't have
rental scales, so test weights are only done in the office, but I do have the
parents keep records (the dads really get into this), so they have concrete
evidence that the baby's output is increasing, feedings are frequent enough,
they're getting enough supplement into the baby, mom's supply is up with
pumping, etc.  At the next visit, they come through the door smiling and
saying, "You won't believe the change.  She's a different baby."  They're
different people, too.

I certainly don't use test weights at every visit, but in many cases, I've
found them very helpful.

Judy Dunlap, RNC, IBCLC