Post Delivery ~ Jaundice ~

It has been three days since the delivery. So far everything was going well except for me still feeling weak and incapable of too much movements. Even so, I was hoping that we would be discharged that day since I had quite enough of nurses coming in and out of my ward room, the medicine and all the procedural questions. Unfortunately for us, our baby's pediatrician told us on Thursday morning that our baby had jaundice and her reading was quite high, so she had to be monitored and treated under the blue light. We were also advised to stay in the hospital since I was breastfeeding her at that time. 

I know, I know. There were lots of tips I had received during my pregnant days about ways to avoid my baby getting jaundice. One of them was to drink goat's milk in the 9th month of pregnancy. I wanted to but never got around to exactly buying goat's milk. I even had trouble keeping up with me drinking regular formula milk specially made for pregnant mommies. I only succeeded in drinking Goodday's Milk in the blue carton which I thought tasted much nicer than all of those formula milk. I hope it was not because I didn't drink goat's milk that our baby got jaundice. Most probably it's because both of us have O+ blood type. Huhu..

In the end, we had to stay in the hospital for two days. Throughout the two days I was called now and then to feed the baby but it seemed that my precious little baby didn't have enough milk since my milk was not producing fast enough. The doctor and nurses advised me that they needed to add formula milk for my baby since she needs to drink more so that she can pee and poo more to help get the jaundice out faster. I had to agree with them since I do want my baby to get well faster. Her jaundice didn't look like it was decreasing every time I went in to feed her. The nurses alternated my feeding sessions with formula milk to ensure that my baby had enough milk. This feeding routine went on through the night until morning. I got some rest and shut eyes in between the feedings.

It was on Saturday morning that the doctor came in and told us that our baby's jaundice reading had dropped below 10 and we were allowed to go home. My heart jumped for joy! At last! My dear husband packed up all of our things and we waited for the signal from the nurses for us to be discharged. By midday, my husband was called in to settle the hospital bill and then I was called in the nursery to change our baby's clothes (an indicator that we were about to be sent on our way home!). After all the procedure was done, my husband got all of our things into the car and drove to the lobby. I was put in a wheel chair and pushed by a nurse to the lobby alongside another nurse wheeling the baby inside a baby cot beside me. I thanked the nurses as my baby and I was bundled into the car feeling happy that we finally were on our way back home. At the same time I was feeling a little bit lost and scared that we are now venturing into something that we are unfamiliar with.

I really hope that my dear husband and I are able to take care of our precious little baby as best as we could since we are now newbie parents. Now, it's an entirely new journey for the three of us.. ( ^_^ )