2 Week Old...Questions and Jaundice

tiffany0727 · January 2011

Hey ladies. I have a little boy who will be 2 weeks tomorrow (Friday). He had a hard time during his first week with jaundice. We were in the hospital (his highest level was 18) for two days and he needed IVs because he was just too weak and sleepy to eat. He would eat, but it wasn't enough. Since finally being home, he has had his days and nights mixed up. He would seriously sleep all day and be up all night. During the days we couldn't get him up for feedings. My husband and I would bug him to death and nothing. My mother-in-law would tell me he wasn't normal and no babies were like him. He started to wake up for day feedings this week. I feed him before he starts getting upset. He will start chewing and sucking his hands, and start looking around. So, I feed him. It usually is time for him to eat anyway. During the night, he cries until I hear him and I feed him. He's doing better with his days and nights. Yesterday, for example, he was up for 1.5 hours at a time and a few other periods before his feedings yesterday. He is a quiet and easy baby, so far. My mother-in-law is still worried that he's not "normal." He eats every 2-3 hours for about 15 mins a feeding. He is starting to take longer feeds, but he is using the bathroom like he should.

I have worked at a daycare in a nursery with newborns. There was one baby that reminds me of my son. She would only cry when she was hungry and would sleep the rest of the day. She was such a easy baby to care for. I just want to know if my mother-in-law is right and that he isn't a "normal" baby and should be screaming at the top of his lungs all day/night or if he is just himself. Maybe jaudice is still playing a role? His levels are fine now.... Just worried.

My mother-in-law says I should let him cry to "make his lungs strong." Is she right?

punkyb0528 · January 2011

Your LO is perfectly normal in my opinion. Both my kids had very high jaundice levels & DS has a similar story has your LO. your lo is still a newborn & should spend most of his time sleeping and then eating. was he early at all? as long as he has the wet & dirty diapers and is gaining weight, its all good. also evenonce bili levels are low enough for no treatment it can take a couple of weeks for them to be low enough that it is not affecting baby. you & dh are doing great and don't let anyone tell you different.

happyhoopla · January 2011

Your MIL is a nut. Crying will not "make his lungs strong". If he's mellow and easy, but happy about it. It's better to meet his needs while he is calm than waiting until he is frantic.

33yearold · January 2011

Hi. My son was born with jaundice. He slept ALOT! U sound a lot like me when I first brought my baby home. I've learned that everybody will have an opinion on how your baby should be. Go with your gut. If he's crying, there's probably something wrong! He's two weeks..... He is going to sleep. He'll wake up when he is hungry. I wouldn't let him cry, because he's just 2 weeks, but that's just me. Go with your gut. Good luck!!!

jenna3016 · January 2011

My LO sleeps alot.

I also rarely let him cry on purpose... usually it's 'cause I can't make the bottle fast enough for my LO, I'm changing his diaper - or- 'cause I have to do something (like take a potty break) regardless of whether he's happy or not.

I would think, like others said, so long as he's gaining weight & soiling diapers & getting sleep, he should be fine. Be thankful he's not screaming - a rough patch will pop up soon enough.

Can you let hubby deal with his mom? I usually let my hubby field all phone calls and questions from MIL.

cpmich · January 2011

Your MIL is wrong. When she was young, the school of thought was to let a baby "cry it out". Now, doctors say never to let a newborn CIO. They are too young to understand it and don't need it to develop their lungs. Your baby is hungry -- feed him. It is especially important for a jaundiced baby to get enough to eat. At 2 weeks old, you should be waking your baby to eat every couple hours day and night, unless he has reached birthweight.

If he has reached birthweight or more, feed on demand -- when he roots with his mouth, sticks his hands in/near his mouth, makes sucking motions, makes a distinctive noise that you will come to know means hungry, or cries from hunger. He will probably only cry from hunger once you have missed the earlier signals.

At 2 weeks, it is perfectly normal for a baby to have his days and nights backwards. He will get it straightened out on his own time. By the way, MOST newborns sleep all day. It would be abnormal for him to be up. He needs the sleep to grow. Consider signing up for the weekly bump or babycenter emails that give you info on what babies do at the same ages as your LO. I found them helpful.

Also...

https://www.babycenter.com/0_baby-sleep-basics-birth-to-3-months_7654.bc

https://www.babycenter.com/6_your-2-week-old_1132.bc

KeyRyn320 · January 2011

Your LO sounds a lot like mine (he will be 2 weeks old on Saturday). He is starting to wake up for longer periods everyday, maybe an hour at a time, but for the most part, he sleeps soundly during the day and will wake up every 2 or 3 hours during the night to eat. It's perfectly normal for babies that young to sleep a lot and to generally wake up only to eat and go back to sleep. As long as he is still making wet and dirty diapers and is eating, then he's doing fine.

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