Step-by-Step Guide to Doing a Weighted Feed
Photo Credit: Emily Thompson, thanks to our friends at Fern + Foster Family Wellness
Why and How to do a Weighted Feed
If your little one is having a hard time gaining weight and/or you need/want to keep track of both your baby’s weight gain and how much breastmilk baby is transferring, then a scale can be extremely helpful. Read on for our easy step-by-step instructions.
Step-by-Step Guide to a Weighted Feed
If you have a baby scale, it’s really easy to do a weighted feed right at home to see how much breastmilk your little one is transferring.
BEFORE FEED
- Change your baby into a clean diaper (as needed)
- Place a blanket on the scale
- Push the ON button and let scale “tare” (set to zero, so it isn’t counting the blanket’s weight)
- Place baby on the scale
- Record the weight (in grams)
- Feed your baby
AFTER FEED
- Repeat steps 2-5 (in baby’s same clothes and/or diaper)
- Compare weights (subtract the Before weight from the After weight)
- Calculate how much baby took in (30g =1 oz.)
Did you know? We offer FREE weight checks in all of our locations: West Seattle, Poulsbo, and Tacoma. No need to call ahead and no appointment necessary!
Want to do weighted feeds at home, but you don’t have a scale? We’ve got you covered! You can rent high-precision baby scales from Nurturing Expressions. The wonderful women in our boutiques can teach you how to do a weighted feed (just like we do in our Breastfeeding Support Groups) so you can calculate your baby’s milk intake at home.
We’d also love for you to drop in and use the scale in our boutique lactation rooms (free!) in Poulsbo, West Seattle, or Tacoma. The gals in our boutique can assist you with a weighted feed right then and there, if you want some extra support the first time you try it out.
