feeling stressed about jaundiced 6 day old

[MommyToAbby]

DS is 6 days old and was born with jaundice. They sent us home with a bili blanket and now he seems to be doing better. His bili level is dropping and he's starting to gain his birth weight back (7 lb 14 oz at birthday, 7 lb 8 oz today).

I have concerns though mainly about my supply and how much work it is to feed him. Ever since my milk started coming in, I have been engorged and uncomfortable and leaking a lot. When he nurses well, my breasts do feel less full but he is certainly not emptying them. I am concerned that my body is going to think I don't need all the BM it's making.

The other big issue is I am exhausted because I spend hours/all morning, afternoon or evening just trying to get him to nurse for a few minutes. I tried 3-4 times this morning to feed DS a decent "meal" and it seemed impossible. He slept through them taking his blood at the pedi! I feel like all I am doing all day is trying to get him to wake up to eat. I just wish I could get him to eat decently so I can get a bit of a break. But instead, I can't wake him up, he'll only nurse a few minutes, then I have to try all over again 1-2 hours later. It's constantly on my mind, "Gotta wake him up, hope he eats good, didn't work this time, try again later, gotta wake him up..." I realize if he wasn't sleepy he'd be nursing all day anyway and that is fine. I would love to sit and "just" nurse for however long several times a day. It's the unbelievable sleepiness and trying to rouse him that is killing me.

My DD was very sleepy her first 4-6 weeks. I always had to wake her for feeds and she always fell asleep nursing. But I could get her back up to finish. It wasn't as much work. The amount of effort it takes to get him to nurse for a few minutes at a time is exhausting.

I guess I am looking for ways to get through this, wondering when it won't be so much "work", and hoping to address the supply concerns.

Thanks!
Barb

[deb]

If you let him sleep, will he sleep a REALLY long time? I'm wondering if he might be getting more too-frequent feeds than he wants/needs, and if letting him go a bit longer might result in him taking a proper feed? Might be worth a try, as long as you don't go too long between feeds.

Is he getting a good latch?

[RachelC]

{{{hugs}}}  I could have written that post nearly 4 years ago with my dd2, although she was not jaundiced to the same extent.  I will start by telling you that we continued to have a wonderful 22 month nursing experience.

My pediatrician was wonderful, and we were there often    Basically, he told me to just keep trying, every 3 hours (he wasn't pushing for more frequent feeds) and if she didn't take much at that feed, move on.  My goodness, I remember thinking how she was never going to wake up and never going to eat and never going to gain weight, but she did, slowly, very slowly (she's pushing 4 years old and still under 30 lbs).

You can pump to stimulate your supply, I know, not one more thing to have to think about.  But if you pump, at least that is sending the signals to your breasts that this milk is important and to please continue making it.  I bet she is getting more than you think he is, but I understand how very hard it is to see that and be ok with it, trust me, I understand.  

How long will he go between feeds, if you let him?  Is he producing 6-8 wet diapers a day?  Any bowel movements?  He seems to be gaining weight nicely.

Do you have help right now?  Someone else that can wash the pump and deal with the EBM so it's not one more thing for you?

Can't tell you when it will get easier, but instead of day by day, try looking week by week (I know, it's only been a week   )

Hang in there  

[MommyToAbby]

Deb, I think his latch is OK.  I don't have the nipple trauma I had with DD.  I have been helping him open really wide and I can hear him swallowing the milk and can see it in and around his mouth.  What would you say is a REALLY long time?  I haven't let him go because we've been advised by pedi and lactation consultant feed every 2-3 hours to get those bili levels down.  The lower they go, the more he'll perk up.

Rachel, As I said DD1 was very sleepy and we had lots of BFing challenges but I nursed her for 14 months.  I am worrying about the same stuff with DS with regards to weight gain.  I am also worrying that if he doesn't gain weight, he won't have more energy and thus continue to be so sleepy.  I have actually beeen pumping a bit.  I sometimes pump just before feeding for a few minutes so DS gets more hindmilk or if I am totally engorged and uncomfortable.  I have been told by pedi and lactation consultant feed every 2-3 hours so I haven't let him go longer than that during the day.  At night I've let him go 4 hours but I still need to wake him.  Yes he has that may wet diapers and 3-5 poops per day.  My DH is home until next Monday 8/31.  Mainly DH is taking care of DD1 as she is 22 months and quite a busy one.  I hope DS perks up a bit between now and when DH goes back just because there is no way I can spend as much time as I do trying to feed DS with a toddler running around.  It'd be one thing if it was just nursing but the added work of trying to wake him and keep him awake just adds so much time to it all.  

[RachelC]

I think you and ds are doing really well.  I would let him go the 3 hours during the day and see what happens.

Hang in there and I am really glad you have dh around for another week

[First Time Mom]

My ds is now 6 days old and he's a sleepy one too when it comes to feeds. The first few days it was taking me up to an hour per feed. If I'm not mistaken, doesn't jaundice make them even more sleepy so it's important to wake and feed them at certain intervals instead of letting them go long? (I could be wrong on this). Anyways, 3 things I did/do to help ds stay somewhat awake- take of his sleeper- I find he's like a little oven when placed between my breast and a pillow so it helps, I also blow on his face when he stops swallowing, and I also keep a cool temp (not quite cold) wash cloth near me and dable it on his face/top of head to wake him when he stops swallowing. I also will stop and burb him or change his diaper during a feed as he HATES these 2 things and both causes him to wake.

[willnaddysmommy]

just wanted to put my two cents worth in here!! my son had horrible jaundice (he's now 1.5) his levels got up to 25.6- not good. He was the same even once we were home on bili lights I was still waking him every hour to feed and generally he would eat MAYBE 3-4 min total. It was so frustrating! I feel your pain. All you want is to snuggle with your little baby and you have to keep them on these lights, and then you're all stressed out about their numbers and what they're eating- so tough! I would, depending on how high the numbers are and how quickly they're going down, still be feeding every hour. Dont worry about getting him on a sched. or anything like that right now- your one and only job is to get him healthy!! Pump definitely if you feel like you need to and it would relieve some engorgement, but your body will figure it out when he starts to get the biliruben out and begins to eat more!
One more thing- with my son we couldnt get his numbers down and finallly checked blood types and realized that we were two different types and so long story short I was giving him antibodies that were fighting his blood! Put him on formula for 2 days and that was enough to help his body get a handle on it. Breast fed him until he was 13 months and I was preggers with #3. So, just keep that in mind if the numbers arent going down
Good luck and know that you will make it thru this!!

[MommyToAbby]

Marian, Yes jaundice makes them really sleepy.  You are supposed to feed as often as possible as peeing and pooping will get the bili out of their system.  I am doing EVERYTHING to wake DS/keep him awake.  I use cold washclothes on the bare skin, ice cubes, I feed him naked, I change his diaper, I switch nurse, I feed him sitting up instead of cradle hold, I burp him sitting up, I tickle his feet, talk to him, stroke his face, tickle him anywhere, move his arms and legs around.  EV.ER.Y.THING.

willandadsdysmommy, Thank you!  DS's bili level peaked at 14 on Friday and was down to 10.9 Sunday.  At that point the pedi said we could take him off the bili blanket and we go back tomorrow for his PKU and a bili check.  I hope they have continued to go down/stay down and he's gained weight.  That must have been so scary for you that your son's bili level was so high!  I am pumping a few times a day either when I am engored or to pump off some foremilk so DS gets more of the "good stuff."