No, we don't as adults count and measure, but we are at least subtly aware. If we don't urinate for a long time or if when we do it's very concentrated, we (hopefully) know we need to take in more liquid. If we go without a bowel movement for an extended period we know we need to make some change to correct that. In giving a new mom guidelines for example on the numbers of diapers to watch for I try to encourage her to "count" them only until baby reached the recommended minimums. Then we suggest she simply put out a pile of 8-10 at the first diaper change of the day-if they're used up in 24 hours with both wet and dirty, baby is probably doing fine. Then as she becomes more familiar with what is normal for her baby, she need not do even that. She will have developed a "sense" of when things are going well. I think this is another example of what we miss by not being in larger, close-living extended families where we would develop this sense by mere observation and "osmosis". Since new moms these days usually come to parenthood with little if any exposure, they frequently need a little guidance in developing this 6th sense about how baby is doing. We need to present what numbers we do give not as rules to be followed as long as the child lives under our roof, but as a starting point to developing her own awareness of how baby is doing. Winnie Mading RNC, IBCLC *********************************************** The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM) mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html