*Anyone else dealing with BreastMilk jaundice?*
First I have to say I admire all you ladies for your strength in having a preemie! We had our son at 35 weeks 6 days and that is preemie enough for me to handle! This board inspires me, I mostly lurk and post on parenting after a loss...but I thought maybe you ladies would have some advice on this!
So DS has had a bit of jaundice since birth...his level last week was 12.5 and 3 days later was 12.8 and 4 days later (today) was 13.1...well they also ran a TOTAL bilirubin level which I guess is a better indicator of "real" disease and that was within normal limits (0.2) so the doctors are 99% sure this is breastfeeding jaundice...now here is the dilemma...
In order to be 100% sure that is breastmilk jaundice - they gave me 2 options - 1- stop BF for 24 hours - just pump and formula feed, then have a blood draw and if it drops we are sure, and 2 I can just keep getting blood tests every 3 days until it starts to trend down itself.
This was by far my hardest decision yet - but I have decided on Option 2 and the nurse on the phone was SO nice saying "thats what I would do too but I had to tell you both"...He is technically a preemie (late pre term really) and doing so well with BF that I don't want to do formula NOW ..and the test is a little heel prick...
Do you think I am awful?? I feel like I am being selfish in a way too because I don't want to give up our really good nursing schedule because of this...
Anyone else deal with this and have any advice??
Re: *Anyone else dealing with BreastMilk jaundice?*
Our son had a bit of breastmilk jaundice. His Bili was also around 12-13. Our NICU didn't think it was a bid deal. He had been under lights a few days prior but with a Bili at 12 for how old he was, was not a concern.
I would have done exactly what you did. He jaundice will lesson as he eats more and 12 isn't that alarming.
We went through this, too. I was told we HAD to go with option one, though. But after just twelve hours on formula, her levels jumped significantly, even under the lights, so they let me start breastfeeding again and she dropped down to an 8 (from an 18 or 19) in just 32 hours.
Your levels are low enough they can catch the numbers increasing and change strategy if you need to. I think you made a good call.
Btw, DD was also a 35 weeker.
GL!
Need help with high fat food ideas? Chunky Monkey
My DS had this and my ped told me that if I really wanted to get rid of it that I'd need to stop nursing for 1 day but that it wasn't hurting him and not something I had to do. I decided to keep nursing. The little guy was yellow for a little bit but super healthy and I'm glad I kept nursing...we nursed for 15 months!
Good luck to you!
Thank you so much ladies
I will stick with the nursing for now until they INSIST I stop because it is bad for his health (hopefully we will never reach this point).
Happy new year!