In plain words
A test weight measures how much milk a baby takes at the breast in one feed. The baby is weighed on a digital scale that reads to about 2 grams. She feeds. Then she is weighed again in the same clothes and diaper. The difference in grams is close to the milk she drank. Lactation consultants use it when there is a question about how much milk the baby is getting, or when a top-up may be needed. One feed can be very different from the next. A single test weight is read next to diaper counts and the weight trend over days, not alone. Home scales are usually not precise enough for this.
The deeper version
Test weighing on a scale with about 2 g resolution, before and after a feed in the same clothing, quantifies a single transfer. Within-infant variation is large: Kent and colleagues (Pediatrics, 2006) documented wide variation in the volume and frequency of feeds across the day, so a single test carries wide uncertainty and is interpreted against that variability. Test weighing is most informative in series or paired with a 24-hour feeding log, and it is not a diagnostic test of milk supply on its own.
Where it comes up
- Is my baby getting enough?Feeding Your Baby
- Low milk supply: real, perceived, and what helpsFeeding Your Baby
- Pumping: how, when, how oftenFeeding Your Baby
- Finding a lactation consultant (and what IBCLC means)Feeding Your Baby
What mothers here say about test weight
No one has posted under this term yet.
Sources
- Kent JC et al. — Volume and frequency of breastfeedings and fat content of breast milk throughout the day, Pediatrics 2006