S/O PSA about newborn feeding

amother

↑ Sienna ↓

Sun, Sep 22 2024, 10:28 pm

amother Butterscotch wrote:

Lots of sun light, I think I’m going to get the light from a gemach right away next time and not let it get so high.

Nurse/feed as a normal baby & monitor via blood work daily.

If needed, bili blanket.
Once it starts coming down 95% of time doesn't go back up unless other health issues.

amother

Clear

Mon, Sep 23 2024, 12:08 am

Baby shouldn't be in direct sunlight - their skin can burn so easily.
I have undressed my jaundiced babies down to their diaper and put them in indirect sunlight.

amother

Burlywood

Mon, Sep 23 2024, 12:29 am

Op the coombs is likely what caused the jaundice. And now you know for future babies iyh to keep a look out for extra drowsy babies, keep a look out for yellowness getting low down on the body (eyes being yellow doesn’t necessarily mean they need phototherapy, but knees being yellow might…) and I’ve gotten recommended to cut the cord immediately to prevent the blood from mixing more.

My kids all have 2 blood incompatibilities to mine (I’m o- and they’re all b+ but only the first two were yellow enough to need to be under lights… the others they cut the cord immediately. Not sure if that’s what did it but bh never needed phototherapy again).

And yes I’ll say what other posters said.. 4 hours between feedings is too long for a newborn. Once a day is ok. But not consistently through a 24 hour period!

I’m sorry you went through this, but you came out more knowledgeable and you won’t make the same mistake again.

OddoneOut1

Mon, Sep 23 2024, 12:51 am

I also had jaundiced babies and was Coombs positive. I thought my first was the best sleeper ever because she easily did 5 hour stretches those first nights… once I realised she was sluggish I fed her very frequently through the day and woke her up at night until she was about 5 days old.
With my next kids I fed ever 1.5 to 3 hours during the day and let them sleep 5 hours at night and they easily got 8-9 feedings in a 24 hour period and I didn’t have o worry about night feedings.
I also put my babies in indirect sunlight right away (I put them in their baby bath on the sun) .
The key for jaundice IS frequent urination as well, so keep feeding every 2 hours by day! But you really don’t need to wake at night of day feedings are going okay.
When a baby is sluggish 4 hours by day makes sense but is a BAD SIGN that baby isn’t doing great

Brit in Israel

Mon, Sep 23 2024, 1:54 am

DD had high bili.
I nursed every 2-3 hrs and gave formula after a few feeds. Dr and health visitor was shocked how quickly it went down.
Sharai tzedek Hospital had wanted her to go under the light but they had a few jaundice boys who get priority over girls. I had to do a test day 5 (was released only on day 3)

My niece was 3 months and still high numbers. I kept telling them to also give formula but they wouldn't listen so I kept my mouth shut, after the hospital gave them 3 more days before she will be readmitted they gave it a try for 3 days and called me in shock about how quickly it went down after they supplemented with formula.

amother

Hawthorn

Mon, Sep 23 2024, 5:48 am

amother OP wrote:

BH that's smart

Now I am thinking of all these details I never thought of... This happened to my baby within 24hrs of leaving the hospital... So maybe the hospital should have caught this before releasing us?? Would they have been able to tell??

My baby got dehydrated and they did catch it at the hospital. It had already been 3 days, since I was recovering from a C-section. I'm not honestly sure how often I was feeding her, I was in a lot of pain and had had a traumatic birth, and was having a miserable time being in the hospital.

The hospital had me start pumping and supplementing with formula and she improved immediately, but then it was a struggle to get her back to nursing.

Ruchel

Mon, Sep 23 2024, 6:09 am

I'm so sorry. I don't know what say. This is what the pro nursing hospital also told me, not to wake, or to wake only a newborn after 6 hours. It does seem everyone has their experience.

amother

Hyacinth

Mon, Sep 23 2024, 6:30 am

amother OP wrote:

After hearing a lot of mothers say you don't need to wake a sleeping infant every 2-3 hours to feed, I feel a need to share my story.

My baby got dehydrated and needed to be hospitalized on day 3 of life, because I didn't wake her to feed. At that early stage it's hard to know if a baby is gaining weight properly. Not worth the risk. Only AFTER a while of feeding frequently and knowing for sure that baby is gaining well, would I risk letting a young baby sleep past 3 hours. For an oldr baby obviously it is a different situation.

Just wanted moms to know. Thanks for reading.

I was told that a baby under 3kg needs to be woken every 2.5 hours and feed no less than every 3 hours, but a 3kg+ baby can be allowed to sleep up to four(? or was it five?) hours. That's what the maternity ward nurse told me when my first was born.

amother

Emerald

Mon, Sep 23 2024, 6:38 am

I always wake baby every 4 hours at night, 3 by day until my milk comes in and the Dr confirms that the baby is gaining weight again. My anxiety can't handle otherwise

amother

Brown

Mon, Sep 23 2024, 9:01 am

I'm an experienced Coombs mom. 6 out of 8 were yellow. Some stayed longer in the hospital. The trick is to test bili after 24 hours and then they can go under the light in the hospital. Once they got the light 24 hours in the hospital it never went up high enough later

amother

↑ Sienna

Mon, Sep 23 2024, 9:13 am

amother OP wrote:

You're generally right, but in the first few days who knows how weight gain is going?

So first of all, I had a newborn at the beginning of covid and the doctor was not open and they told me over the phone that if you weigh yourself and then hold the baby right after and weigh them on a scale that has oz you could see their weight.

But the truth is, that as you have more experience in being a mother, you'll just start to recognize the difference between tired and lethargic, the right colors for urine & stool etc.

But most mothers instinctually know when there is something wrong! You can trust your gut - which is the same gut that told you to bring your baby to the doctor or listen to whoever told you to go to the hospital this time.

At this point my husband already knows that if I am not worried he doesn't worry but if I worry then he starts getting nervous.
..

amother

Moonstone

Mon, Sep 23 2024, 11:13 am

I was told that you should wake the baby until they are back to their birth weight. only after you know they've gotten there can you just let them sleep

mandr

Mon, Sep 23 2024, 11:21 am

amother Moonstone wrote:

I was told that you should wake the baby until they are back to their birth weight. only after you know they've gotten there can you just let them sleep

I was told the same. Basically after the first drs appointment. I have to say, none of my newborns ever needed me to wake them!