In plain words
A weighted feed, also called a , measures how much milk a baby takes at the breast. 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 in millilitres. Lactation consultants use it when there is a question about whether the baby is getting enough, and to decide if a top-up is needed and how much. One feed can be very different from the next, so one weighted feed is read next to diaper counts and the weight trend over days, never on its own.
The deeper version
Test weighing on a scale with 2 g resolution is the accepted clinical measure of intake at the breast and correlates closely with isotope-dilution measurements. Kent et al. (2006) documented within-infant variation in intake per feed across a day, so transfer estimates from a single feed carry wide confidence intervals; the method is most informative in series or when paired with a 24-hour log. Home scales lack the resolution and are not used for this purpose.
Where it comes up
- Is my baby getting enough?Feeding Your Baby
- Low milk supply: real, perceived, and what helpsFeeding Your Baby
- Cluster feedingFeeding Your Baby
- Finding a lactation consultant (and what IBCLC means)Feeding Your Baby
What mothers here say about weighted feed
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Sources
- Kent JC et al. — Volume and frequency of breastfeedings and fat content of breast milk throughout the day. Pediatrics 2006