With respect Lee, I believe you when you say you did not mean to show disdain or disrespect. And I thank you for your further explanation. However, when you write that you believe that I and the rest of us who shared our situations could have done our jobs without the scale and sometimes better, and that moms use them as a crutch, it just strikes me that we are not being truly heard, and that the use of the scale carries with it some sort of stigma in your eyes. I felt like my skills were totally negated simply because I used a scale – in other words, if I did not use a scale I would be a better LC. Not saying that is what you said – just that is how it felt. From my point of view, in order for me to be the best I can be I need to utilize my tools as needed. In my area we have a very high incidence of situations that cause all sorts of problems. I don’t work with basic latch and positioning any more – perhaps once every 4-6 months if I am lucky. The moms I work with are SCARED or worse - TERRIFIED. Their babies have lost weight, sometimes significantly so while trying to breastfeed exclusively. They have feeding issues, weight gain issues, etc. The moms have lost trust in themselves, their babies and their HCPs. It is MY job to help them rebuild that trust in any way possible. And while I am a very good educator, and can talk about, teach and show moms all the clues and cues and information on the planet – sometimes they just NEED to see that the baby is getting what they need. The Drs want moms to provide ‘numbers’ for baby’s intake and prove to them that mom is doing what she needs to ‘feed the baby’. The scale can do that. If the scale is a ‘crutch’ so be it! And, frankly, I am more than happy to provide that crutch – anytime they need, as often as they need. I am not HER. I am not in the middle of her fear. My job is to ease those fears in the best possible way with the least interventions. And I do that very well – sometimes with my scale. And as I work with each mom I educate and support, and educate and support some more and help them gently wean off NEEDing the scale for the information it provides. And gradually they grow to trust themselves, their observations and their babies. THAT is my job – and I do it very well. I don’t always need to use my tools to assist me in my joy of helping mothers regain their confidence – but when I do I am damn glad I have them. I saw a mom this morning who is not my typical clientele. Her baby was 4 days old, mom had sore nipples and some minor scabbing. Baby weighs in at ½ ounce below birth weight. Mom was more than pleasantly surprised. Her poops are yellow already and she is having plenty of wet diapers. No t-t, no tight muscles, no birth injuries. We fine tuned the latch and positioning, talked a lot about what things should look like. Baby took one ounce at first feed and went to sleep. About an hour later baby nursed again – mom had no interest in weighing her again. She didn’t care. Why? Because she TRUSTED her baby and herself – and that is exactly what she told me, “I trust us to do fine.” This is NOT my typical client at all – it was very refreshing. So – long story short: We all do what we do – and I hope we all do our jobs well. To tell me I could have done my job as well if not better without a scale is to assume that one knows my clientele and knows what they need without seeing them…I meet their needs in my way. And others meet their clients needs in their way. It’s all good – as long as we can respectfully refrain from assuming… Respectfully, Jaye Jaye Simpson, IBCLC, CIIM Breastfeeding Network Sacramento, CA www.breastfeedingnetwork.net Jaye – Your below post has given me the opportunity to better explain what I wrote about LCs weighing babies and misusing scales. I never meant to show disdain or disrespect for you or any of the IBCLCs/CLCs on LACTNET. There are some who misuse the scales; they do look more important/professional because of it. An analogy might be like the pictures of the formula companies showing workers in white coats, standing near the large vats of ABM (Artificial Baby Milk) and “studying” the dials. It gives an impression of being scientific and so careful. In some ways some moms are affected that way by the use of the scales. Everything that you and other LACTNETTERS posted on this topic was carefully read by me and I accepted everyone’s point of view. In virtually every case, I thought that you and the others could have done just as good a job without the scales – sometimes even better. In some cases, the scales were like crutches for the moms (e.g., the moms who doubted their supply until they saw the numbers on the scales). When I do consultations, I do a lot of explaining and teaching so that when I leave the moms, they are more confidant and well-informed, but I do not use scales. It is my way of doing things and I respect yours. I hope I have explained myself a little better and that all of us can feel good about posting on LACTNET. Warm regards, Lee Galasso, MS, LLLL, IBCLC, RLC Westchester County in NYS, USA *********************************************** Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html To reach list owners: [log in to unmask] Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask] COMMANDS: 1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail 2. To start it again: set lactnet mail 3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet 4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome