Medela BabyWeigh Instructions Manual

BabyWeigh, Supplemental Nursing System and SNS are trademarks and

Medela is a registrated trademark of Medela, Inc.

1907181 C 1109 ©2009 Medela, Inc.

Medela, Inc.

P.O. Box 660, 1101 Corporate Drive

McHenry, IL 60051-0660 USA

Phone: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

Email: [e-mail]

www.medela.com

BabyWeigh

TM

scale

parents’ instructions

Congratulations on making

the decision to breastfeed your baby!

Research shows that mothers’ milk provides babies

with the ideal nutrition for growth and extra

protection from infection, allergies and some chronic

diseases. Sustaining breastfeeding requires

commitment on your part, but these efforts represent

an important contribution to your baby’s health.

Table of Contents

Why use the BabyWeighTM scale? ....................................... 1

What if my baby needs additional milk temporarily? ........... 1

What is Test-Weighing? ..................................................... 2

What is unique about the BabyWeigh scale? ..................... 3

Are there any safety precautions with Test-Weighing? ....... 4

How do I perform Test-Weights? ....................................... 5

How should Test-Weights be recorded? ............................ 6

How do I know if my baby needs additional milk? .............. 6

How long will I need to use the BabyWeigh scale? ............ 7

Additional questions about Test-Weighing ....................8-10

Closing comments ........................................................... 10

Performing Test-Weights with the BabyWeigh scale ...11-12

Milk Intake Record Sample .........................................13-19

The BabyWeigh scale operates with
an electrical adapter or with 6 “C”
alkaline batteries.

Assembly of the BabyWeigh™ scale
is easy. A single screw joins the tray
base to the digital display unit. For
easy cleaning, the top tray slides on
and off with a snap/release button.

snap/release button

electrical adapter input

For further information on the operation of the BabyWeigh scale,
see the operator’s manual.

Assembly of the
BabyWeigh

TM

scale

1

Why use the BabyWeigh

™

scale?

Your baby’s doctor, nurse, or lactation consultant has
recommended that you use the BabyWeigh scale to help you
with breastfeeding during the first days or

weeks that you are

home with your baby. The BabyWeigh scale

allows you to measure
the amount of milk your baby consumes during breastfeeding,
simply by weighing your baby on the scale before and after the
feeding. Use of the BabyWeigh scale will help you and your
pediatric care provider determine whether your baby needs
additional milk until your particular problem has been resolved.

What if my baby needs additional
milk temporarily?

When a breastfeeding baby receives additional milk, it is
known as a complement or supplement to breastfeeding. A
complement is the giving of extra milk during or immediately after
a breastfeeding. For example, you might use a Supplemental
Nursing System

™

(SNS™) to give extra milk during the feeding, or
an alternative feeding method to give extra milk right after
a feeding.

2

A supplement involves replacing a breastfeeding with milk
given by some other method. Commonly, a supplement is used
when the mother and baby are separated during a feeding time.
Use of the BabyWeigh scale will help you and your pediatric
care provider decide how much additional milk to use as a
complement or supplement to breastfeeding.

What is Test-Weighing?

Weighing infants before and after a breastfeeding to measure
the amount of milk consumed is known as “test-weighing.” The

“before” weight is subtracted from the “after” weight to determine
the amount of milk consumed. For test-weighing to work
accurately, a baby must be weighed in exactly the same clothing
and blankets before and after the breastfeeding, so that only the
milk intake is “different” between the two weights.

The BabyWeigh scale will display the difference between the
“before” and “after” weights in grams. A gram of weight gain
is approximately equal to 1 milliliter (ml) or 1 cubic centimeter
(cc) of milk intake. For example, if your baby weighs 2400 g
before the feeding and 2430 g after the feeding, the weight
gain between the “before” and “after” weights is 30 g, which
corresponds to 30 ml or 30 cc of milk intake.

3

What is unique about the
BabyWeigh

™

scale?

Research conducted with the BabyWeigh scale has shown that
parents can perform test-weights accurately for both term and
premature infants.

A special feature of the BabyWeigh scale is that it automatically
subtracts the “before” from the “after” weight, and displays this
calculation in an easy-to-read digital format. Additionally, the
scale is lightweight, portable, and easy to use.