Jan,
I hate to admit it but I am fooled by the long slow sucks too. In the
general hospital postpartum population, I point out the open pause close
sucks (or as I sometimes say the "long, strong sucks), the swallowing sounds
etc. If I have a consultation, however, this means there is a problem and
very often I do the pre and post weights. Not infrequently I get much less
or even much more of a milk transfer than I had judged. If the BF just needs
a little fine tuning, the output is pretty good, the milk is there, then I
usually don't do the weights. But if the baby is losing weight, the breasts
are not full, there is surgical history or other red flags, I will do the
wts. I feel they are very valuable in this context.

<<But I do want to point out that I've been fooled more than
once by "hearing swallows" and SEEING long, drawing, nutritive suckling, ...
and to check the weight and find out he took a whole lot less than I thought
he did.>>
with are happy to do it, and don't view it as a "test" they have to pass.>>

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

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