Hi Jeanette, Kathy, and others:  Thanks for your well-written posts
regarding timing infant feeding.  I think I need to reinforce the fact that
I absolutely despise the concept of timing feedings for oh say a dozen
reasons--taking control away from mom, away from baby, each baby is
different, milk content varies from feeding to feeding, within feeding,
non-nutritive aspects of feeding for baby and mom, etc (my comment regarding
10 min and breast compression has taken on a life of its own).    In fact,
more than one time at both bf classes and LLL meetings, we've had clocks
with big Xs through them to demonstrate that point.

Numbers--be they weights, times, or whatever--may SEEM scientific because
we can attach concrete boundaries on them, but they offer us a false sense
of security, disempowerment, are liable to technological malfunction, and
promote detachment between provider and patient.  If I may make the analogy
to using ext. electronic fetal heart monitors instead of fetoscopes.  A
fetoscope (fetal-stethoscope)  require human interaction and attention to
closely monitor the state of mom and baby.  Birth outcomes are actually
better with these lower tech devices than the external electronic fetal
heart monitor.    And yes, many have made the point that test weighing (that
is, weigh-feed-weigh) could protect against those tricky babies who might
slide by and protect against the oh-so litigious US malpractice problem,
there is NO REPLACEMENT FOR WATCHING THE BABY CAREFULLY, LISTENING TO THE
MOM, AND JUST PLAIN EXPERIENCE WITH COMMON SENSE.   I know that we all, on
LN that is, truly know this, it's all the rest I worry about.   Whew...thank
you for listening and yes, I'll step off that very big soap box now (for a
few minutes).  I'm kind of high strung sometimes, and I just had a little go
'round with some marketing folks who don't understand why bottles can't be
used as the universal symbol for babies, including for breastfeeding!

Chris Hafner-Eaton, PhD, MPH, CHES, IBCLC    [log in to unmask]
mom, wife, educator, lactation consultant, researcher, scientist, author,
organic gardener, photographer, lapidary creator, lousy cleaner.

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