did your baby have to stay at hospital for jaundice??

Adrienne4.11 · July 2010

how long were they there for? I was discharged this afternoon and my son who was born on Saturday has to stay there under lights until his bilirubin levels get to a normal level. I'm going back and forth for feeding times, but obviously I'm anxious to get him home with me. Just curious what anyone else's experiences have been. I've asked the doctors and nurses, but they just say it could be one night or it could be longer.

mkanderson85 · July 2010

I was able to take her home with me, but I had to go back two days later to check her levels. That was all.

shortms6 · July 2010

DD had mild jaundice and didn't need the lights. They told me to feed her every 2 hours and she'll poop it out (which she did). She was released with me but I ended up staying an extra day anyway due to complications with my health. Like PP, I had to bring her back to the pedi's office 2 days later to double-check.

MrsC08 · July 2010

She had to stay an extra night, but my hospital let us stay for a "complimentary" night. She was able to go home the next day with the lights and had to be checked by her pedi the day after that. Good luck! Hopefully it's a short stay.

two-pink-shoes · July 2010

Yes, but he was already in the NICU for a sepsis work-up (he stayed for 4 days). Then we had to take him back nearly every day for 2 weeks to have his levels drawn...poor baby had so many holes in his heels! It didn't resolve completely until he was a month old and we took him off BM for a day (gave formula instead).

Irishsapphire · July 2010

My son was premature born close to 31 weeks. The picture in my signature is him doing Photo Therapy with shades--the NICU nurse drew eyelashes on the shades. He did Photo Therapy for a couple of days when he was originially in the NICU. It looked like he was on a tanning bed in his incubator. Overall, my son was in the hospital for 35 days and was released last Wednesday night.

Daisy41459 · July 2010

My son was born on a Saturday night and started his treatment on Monday. Tuesday was supposed to be our discharge day, but he had to stay under the lights, so my OB arranged for me to stay one additional night. We were both discharged Weds., but had to take a bili blanket home with us (and go to the hospital every day for blood work). He was on the blanket for 5 days.

I hope your DS is able to come home soon!

CarolinaKatie · July 2010

I'm sorry you are going through that. I had a c-section, so stayed an extra night longer than those with vaginal births. Had I not stayed that extra night, he would have been under the lights with us at home. :-( Luckily, it worked and he did not have to stay an extra night. But if he had, they would have let me stay. Our hospital has some new thing where moms can stay at hospital as long as there is room. THey let you stay in the same room and it just becomes the baby's room. I'm not sure how long they let you stay, but they said it is mostly for jaundice babies, so I imagine just a day or two.

A friend of mine had a NICU baby and was away from him for 3 weeks. I know it is hard. Feel free to call up there when you wake in the middle of the night to check on him! GOod luck!

LolaMonroe · July 2010

DS was born on a Monday and we were discharged home on Wednesday with his bili levels borderline high. We went home with a bili blanket, but his levels continued to rise. By Friday he had a bili of 19, which bought us a night at the hospital. He began double light therapy that afternoon and by Saturday morning, his levels were down to a 12 and we went home.

MrsSoapbox · July 2010

DS was born on a Monday, we were discharged on Tuesday and he was readmitted on Friday because of his jaundice. He had to stay three nights but I was able to stay with him the whole time. He was in a regular hospital room in the isolette but the room was otherwise a regular hospital room so I had a bed, bathroom, tv, etc.

When we were first admitted, our pedi said it'd hopefully just be for a day but his levels were really slow to come down.

I hope your little one is all better soon. It is no fun, but I'm sure it's just a little bump in the road and you'll all be home together before you know it!

Jenny0205 · July 2010

we didn't stay extra in the hospital because DD's level were just under the acceptable level. But when we took her to the pedi for her 4 day checkup they did a blood draw and her levels had gone up quite a bit. We reneted a bilibed and were able to do the therapy at home (we had to use it for 5 days). If the jaundice is the only thing keeping LO in the hospital, ask if you can be realesed and rent a bilibed for home. hth, good luck.

allyandpat2010 · July 2010

My oldest stayed 5 days extra for jaundice after our normal 3 day stay.

amberfernandez · July 2010

Our dd was born on a Friday, we got her on Monday (Adoption) and took her to the Dr to make sure everything was ok, since we weren't there for the birth. They told us we had an hour to get her to the hospital and get her under the lights because her levels were so high. She was under the lights for about 18 hours, and in an incubator as she was having trouble reglating her temp. She went home almost 24 hours after we checked into the hospital.

The more days old your LO is, the higher the levels have to be for them to be worried.

LMark · July 2010

our DD was born on a Wed morning and we expected to leave the next day. However, she tested right on the borderline for having jaundice. Since I was still learning to BF properly she wasn't able to clear out the bilirubin. We ended up staying an extra 2 days (discharged on Saturday) to monitor her. No phototherapy was needed.

joan_rene · July 2010

We were readmitted to the hospital when DD was 5 days old. We went in for her 5 day pedi. visit and her billi levels were really high and she had lost over a pound since birth, so they sent us back to the hospital. We were there for 2 full days under triple phototherapy and receiving help with BFing. The NICU had a special "nesting room" where I could stay since I had to do feedings every 3 hrs.

jenny1980 · July 2010

DD stayed an extra night, but we were able to room-in with her.

did your baby have to stay at hospital for jaundice??

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