Weighted feeds: Why they are useful and how to perform them
During a visit with one of our IBCLCs (Lactation Consultants), they will weigh your baby, possibly several times. Your consultant is doing a lot more than just accounting for your baby’s weight. They are monitoring your little one's milk intake. Our scales are very accurate, and can account for the change in baby’s weight before and after a feeding, which indicates milk intake. It should be noted that babies do intake different amounts during different feedings, you may be asked to perform weighted feeds at home by your provider. Weighted feeds are one of many tools your IBCLC may use to assess your baby - your consultant will also check for overall weight gain, effective latch, diaper count, stools color changes, feeding patterns and more.
What exactly is a “weighted feed”?
Weighted feeding is performed by measuring your baby pre and post feeding. The goal of the weighted feeding is to determine how much breastmilk your baby takes during one breastfeeding session. The baby will be weighed in a clean, dry diaper to ensure accuracy in the event that they void or stool during the feeding. Your Lactation Consultant can help interpret and understand the results of the weighted and provide recommendations accordingly to help you meet your feeding goals and ensure that you have a happy, healthy and growing baby.
Not all baby scales are created equal.
A typical baby scale that you might have at home is great to track overall weight gain from day to day or over the weeks. However, these scales do not provide a measurement that is accurate enough to do weighted feedings. The scales we use at The Breastfeeding Center measure precisely to 2- gram increments, and will give a correct measurement of how much milk your baby takes during a feeding.
Weighted Feeding at The Center
Here at The Breastfeeding Center, we offer free, one-hour appointments for you to come in and do weighted feeding in our classroom space. This appointment is a solo weighted feed; make sure to consult an IBCLC before/ after the weighted feeding with any questions. You can book an appointment to reserve your weighted feeding space and time here. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to call or text our office at 202.293.5182 to get in touch with one of our administrative staff who is happy to assist!
The general process for conducting a weighted feeding consists of:
Your first step is to place the scale on a firm, flat, and most importantly stable surface. This placement is essential to get an accurate measurement of your baby while also ensuring your babies safety during the weighing process
The next step is to push in the tray locking lever and plug your scale into the wall.
Undress the baby down to a diaper to get the most accurate reading during the entire process.
Then, you want to turn the scale on by pressing the “ON” button and waiting until the number “0” is displayed on the LCD screen. On the Medela Babyscale II, the ON button can be located to the right of the LCD screen.
If you plan on adding the extra weight of a pad, blanket, or other buffers between your baby and the scale, make sure to zero out the machine. You will do this by pressing the “TARE/ZERO” button on the scale. This button can be located above the “ON” button.
Place your baby on the scale. Make sure to hold your hand over the baby (not on your baby) in case of any movement. Wait until the scale beeps or you see the arrow appear over the lock section of the LCD screen. This lock arrow can be located in the left-hand corner of the LCD screen.
Store the weight in the scale memory by pressing the 1 button or the “BEFORE FEED” button. This button is to the right of the “ON” button. You can also keep a weight journal of your baby on your phone by taking a picture or writing it down.
The most important step is to take your baby off the scale and feed!
Next, prepare the scale for the second weight by pressing the reset button to make sure the scale is zeroed out again.
Weigh your fed baby and wait for your baby’s weight to stabilize. Wait until the scale beeps or you see the arrow appear over the lock section of the LCD screen. This can be located in the left-hand corner of the LCD screen.
Then, Press 2 to score the post-feed weight. The 2 button is located next to the 1 button. This would also be the time to add this to your weight journal or take a picture with your phone.
Remove your baby from the scale
Press 3/AMOUNT FED to calculate the breastmilk intake, or find the difference between the weights
Press the OFF button to turn off the scale, the last set of weights will remain in the scale’s memory.
Interested in renting a scale for at-home use? To reserve your scale, please text (202) 293-5182 or head to the rental section of our website.
Interested in reserving a spot to perform a weighted feed at The Center? No problem, you can do so here
This is an unattended 1-hour time to do a weighted feed. If you have lactation questions we suggest scheduling a lactation appt above, or reaching out to your IBCLC after your weighted feed.