Oh gosh, it's awful isn't it. I've honestly been told different things by each person I've seen. It's exhausting. So pleased it turned out to be mild for you, how old was your little one when this happened? X
New baby and post birth advice #2
- Start date
-
- Tags
- New Baby Threads
- Status
New to Tattle Life? Click "Order Thread by Most Liked Posts" button below to get an idea of what the site is about:
My first was still jaundice after 3 weeks so she had to have a blood test to check her liver was ok. It’s worth them checking up on baby just in case as I think it can be quite serious if left alone. As annoying as the situation is the hv might’ve done you a big favour in the end x
They are only this little once. Enjoy the snuggles because before you know it they won't want them anymoreOh don’t, I have no idea how to get mine to nap for more than one sleep cycle in the day. The only thing that seems to work is when he sleeps on his tummy on me. Don’t get me wrong, I love it but I can’t do this every single nap time! This is my current set up, ignore my top, I spilt my lunch down it
View attachment 730777
Have they done any blood tests for the jaundice? My little one had it and they did bloods a few times over the course of a few days, her levels improved so she didn’t need to go under the lamps.
Is that the heel pricks? He had lots whilst in hospital but hasn't had any since being out x
We have been doing the same and putting it in every other bottle during the day and then 4/5am bottle. It’s definitely not helping yet, in fact she seems to be even worse and trying to feed her is just a nightmare. It’s so hard but just keep reminding myself that it will get better eventually! I’m tempted to call the GP again tomorrow but I know they’ll just tell me we haven’t tried the gaviscon for long enough
Are you exclusively expressing? That is such a labour of love
Huge respect, mama. Try not to put a time limit on the feedings (3 hourly) just feed as and when baby wants. It’s pretty old school of her to say feed on a schedule, mostly it’s recommended to demand feed now, even via bottle.Hopefully it will clear up ASAP
Yeah I am. I was encourage to use formula in hospital but as soon as I was home and my pump arrived I've been expressing and feeding it by bottle. I would have loved to breast fed but he wasn't having it. That's exactly what we were doing but she's said 3 hours maximum, so we've just woken him up and he's fuming with us! I wish I had more confidence in myself as a mum but it's still such early days and I'm questioning everything because of all the different things I've been told over the last 14 days. It's been crazy. Thank you so much for your messages, I really appreciate it xxAre you exclusively expressing? That is such a labour of love
Hopefully it will clear up ASAP
Oh lovely, it’s natural to question yourself! You always think others must know better, HV must know better because it’s their job, other mums know better because they have been “doing it” longer. But please remember only YOU are the expert in your baby. You do what feels right for you and your LO, and ignore the rest. If you ask 10 HV the same question you’ll probably get 10 different answers! So it’s best to take it all with a pinch of salt. You’re doing a fantastic job, please trust yourself
Yeah they were all in the heel. I’d deff ring tomorrow and let them know you’re not happy for it to be left and ask them to check bloods.
I've got to go to the midwifes tomorrow anyway, the health visitor referred me back to them. So I will see what they do/say and if blood tests aren't mentioned. I will bring it up.
Thank you so much ladies. I honestly am so grateful for all your help and level-headedness! My brain is scrambled so it's fantastic to be able to ask you guys your opinions etc. I am so thankful xx
I work in midwifery and we see lots of babies with prolonged jaundice, especially if they're exclusively BF. We recommend a bilirubin and liver function blood test at around 3 weeks if a baby is still visibly jaundiced, but the hospital down the road (a different Trust) does this at 2 weeks. Some babies will still have raised levels of bilirubin at 3+ weeks but if the baby is otherwise well and above birthweight, the doctors tend to leave well alone and "wait and see", usually offering a final blood test a little later on (6-8 weeks). It's very rare that a baby will be readmitted after their light therapy has finished, the final blood tests are just to ensure that nothing has been missed.
If your baby has had light therapy, and afterwards has had 2x bilirubin tests where the level is below the treatment line and falling, your baby will be discharged. Again, they would repeat the blood tests at 3+ weeks, just to make sure that all is well.
I know that these tests are horrible, and it's very disheartening to have to keep going back to hospital, but we are saving many more babies from serious illness with this approach. We do feel your pain though, having to take several heelprick tests over the course of 2 or 3 days, is no fun for us either, especially with those poor babies that just don't bleed much, and we have to prick them 3 or 4 times in the same foot, just to get a tiny bottle of blood
The "3 hourly" feeds advice causes so much confusion. If your baby is very jaundiced, it can make them sleepy and lethargic, they can sleep through their feed times and can end up becoming weaker, and will lose more weight and can get dehydrated. If they are older than a week, gaining weight well, are alert and active, and you know that they are having decent feeds, you don't have to wake them on the clock at 3 hourly intervals. I wouldn't let them sleep for much longer than 4 hours when under 3 weeks old, but sometimes, waking them up before they're ready, is just counterproductive, they're not hungry, and they're cross because they're still tired.
Nipple confusion is very common if you've had to bottle-feed your baby in the early days. There is help out there if you want to continue to BF, although in some areas, you may have to hunt it down.
. La Leche league, BF Facebook groups, and your HV should be able to help, and remember, breastfeeding is an ongoing process, just because something isn't going right today, doesn't mean that it can't be fixed sooner or later. It's a bit like learning to drive, you can't get everything right first time!Try not to worry (Easier said than done I know!) x
Once you have the present issue sorted kick up a stink for bf support. I think it’s across the whole NHS that they have to facilitate you in bf. It’s horrendous that she was dismissive.
We had to to do 3 hourly too until she regained her birth weight then to demand. It’s relentless.
You’re doing a bloody amazing job to be expressing, hats off to you! Take care of yourself too Mama, it will get easier
13 days.
Thank you so much for this. It's reassuring to hear that hopefully we won't have to be readmitted and it could just be a blood test. He is above his birth weigh by 60g now, so not a lot but he lost 8% so I was pleased to just hear he had gained. Although he hadn't gained any weight in the last 48 hours so I think she was a bit concerned about that as well.I work in midwifery and we see lots of babies with prolonged jaundice, especially if they're exclusively BF. We recommend a bilirubin and liver function blood test at around 3 weeks if a baby is still visibly jaundiced, but the hospital down the road (a different Trust) does this at 2 weeks. Some babies will still have raised levels of bilirubin at 3+ weeks but if the baby is otherwise well and above birthweight, the doctors tend to leave well alone and "wait and see", usually offering a final blood test a little later on (6-8 weeks). It's very rare that a baby will be readmitted after their light therapy has finished, the final blood tests are just to ensure that nothing has been missed.
If your baby has had light therapy, and afterwards has had 2x bilirubin tests where the level is below the treatment line and falling, your baby will be discharged. Again, they would repeat the blood tests at 3+ weeks, just to make sure that all is well.
I know that these tests are horrible, and it's very disheartening to have to keep going back to hospital, but we are saving many more babies from serious illness with this approach. We do feel your pain though, having to take several heelprick tests over the course of 2 or 3 days, is no fun for us either, especially with those poor babies that just don't bleed much, and we have to prick them 3 or 4 times in the same foot, just to get a tiny bottle of blood
The "3 hourly" feeds advice causes so much confusion. If your baby is very jaundiced, it can make them sleepy and lethargic, they can sleep through their feed times and can end up becoming weaker, and will lose more weight and can get dehydrated. If they are older than a week, gaining weight well, are alert and active, and you know that they are having decent feeds, you don't have to wake them on the clock at 3 hourly intervals. I wouldn't let them sleep for much longer than 4 hours when under 3 weeks old, but sometimes, waking them up before they're ready, is just counterproductive, they're not hungry, and they're cross because they're still tired.
Nipple confusion is very common if you've had to bottle-feed your baby in the early days. There is help out there if you want to continue to BF, although in some areas, you may have to hunt it down.
You've literally just described my baby, he had so many heel prick tests and his little feet were so bruised because he doesn't bleed well. He had to do the sickle cell test twice because the first one was refused as there wasn't enough blood. The only blessing was that he became quite used to them in the hospital so he didn't mind them too much until they were squeezing his feet trying to get blood, poor little love.
Exactly that regarding the 3 hourly feeds, thankfully he woke up for his last one but in the daytime he is so lethargic when we wake him and he won't take his bottle well at all. Which then stresses me out because she's told me the best way to get rid of jaundice is to "feed it out of him".
I'd like to give breast feeding another go, but at the minute with this going on I don't feel in the right frame of mind. I'm hoping for some good news later today and then maybe I will try over the weekend.
Thank you so much for your message @klarakluckbag x
Yes it was quite quick and results through by the next day
- Status