Our Little Lydia's time at home was short lived and very stressful. When we took Lydia to her first doctor's appointment on Monday, Feb 8th, we spent forever in the waiting room with tons of sick kids running all over the place and Lydia screaming her head off only to get into a room and hardly even see the doctor before she says, "I have some bad news. I need to send y'all back to the hospital." Lydia's bilirubin level was far too high and Lydia was jaundiced. They were unable to draw her blood due to a couple of veins blowing, but they didn't want to stick any more of them because the hospital would need to get an iv in one of them.Needless to say, I felt like an awful mother! I couldn't hold back my tears! I was so incredibly sleep deprived and already had several other hormones taking over my body that it all just came out. I had noticed that Lydia was near impossible to wake up to feed and that she rarely had any messy diapers, but I had thought that it was somewhat normal. Well, not so. Apparently high bilirubin sedates you and she was so dehydrated from not getting enough food (she slept through most of her feedings) that she didn't have much output. In fact, the poor girl was so dehydrated that it took the nurses and doctors 3 hours to get an iv in her because every vein was blowing! She had so many bandaids all over the place, including her head before they finally had one successful one which was protected by a cup on her head. The nurses and everyone was so wonderful and supportive while we were there! They kept giving me hugs and asking if they could do anything else to help me out.
In order to get rid of the bilirubin in Lydia, she was given photo-therapy. I don't know all the science of it, but basically she lays in a bed with tons of lights on her which are supposed to help break down the bilirubin and then she pees it all out. She got a cool pair of sunglasses (a piece of felt with sunglasses pictured on it) to protect her eyes. Lydia looked like a little fake-baker! Guess she started young! I was able to take her out of the bed to feed her and had to hold a pad on her back that had a bunch of green lights in it.
After 16 hours of being under the lights, her billirubin had decreased from 18 to 9! A very significant change! So, the doctors turned off the lights and said that if she was able to maintain that level for 8 hours on her own that she would be good to go. However, the next 8 hours were just as difficult as the last 16! Lydia still had the problem of eating and she wouldn't be able to go home if she still was unable to eat because then she would end up back in the hospital again. We tried and tried! The nurses had me pumping milk and trying to give her bottles along with trying to breastfeed. The lactation consultant came to see me again and after 2 hours of working with Lydia and Lydia fighting every trick she had, we finally noticed something. Lydia habitually keeps her tongue in the roof of her mouth and doesn't bring it down on her own to suck. So, we figured out how to get it down and then she drank like a pro from the bottle!
Lydia was able to keep her billirubin down on her own for the next while and with her finally eating enough food, Lydia was able to come home the next day, Tuesday, February 9th. We were so happy to have our baby home again! Although it really felt like it was the first time since we had only been home for about a day and a half before.
We have still had our share of adventures since coming home! Most of it has to do with eating. Breastfeeding is a whole lot more difficult thnt I had imagined and Lydia is one heck of a sleeper! She is great at drinking out of a bottle while she is sleeping, but not so much out of a breast. There are also other complications, but I'm not going to get too detailed on my blog. Basically I have to pump for at least part of every feeding and bottle feed her. So, every feeding takes about an hour and the doctors told me that I had to feed her every 3 hours. So, I feel like that is literally my life right now! Good thing about pumping is that David has been able to help a little bit more and I try to get one longer stretch of sleep each night. Unfortunately it pays a toll on David though and we need him to stay awake in his classes everyday!We were lucky enough to have my mom here with us till yesterday morning. She helped out so much! And she definitely seems to have the magic touch with Lydia! When Lydia won't calm down for David or I, Grandma holds her and she quiets right down! I appreciated having all the support and encouragement through all the initial stresses of bringing a baby home and also with Lydia going back to the hospital! Thank you so much mom! You were wonderful and we all love you so much!
Lydia also started getting really gunky eyes yesterday and so I was debating taking her to Urgent Care today. However, I really didn't want to be around a ton of sick kids with her and would much rather take her to the doctor's office. But, tomorrow is a holiday and so she wouldn't be able to do that until Tuesday. So, as David is good at, he got on the internet and started looking up stuff. He found a few websites that suggested massaging the side of her nose by her eye for a few seconds several times a day and also laying a warm damp cloth on the eyes for a few minutes at each feeding. These things help out with the clogged tear ducts, if that's the problem. I did this a couple of times this afternoon and just a few seconds after massaging for about the 3rd time, her eye got so insanely gunky it was gross! It was like I had pushed everything out of the tear duct! Well, it seems to have been a good thing, because her eyes have been so much clearer since then! They still are a little bit gunky and I am still doing some of the massaging and moist cloth stuff, but they are clearer than they have been since yesterday morning! So, we like the home remedies so far on this one!
Well, I know that this has been a long post. I have been meaning to write it for a while, but you all know how tiring it is when you have a newborn! I'll try to get at least one post up a week so that people can see all her cute pictures and know about all the fun little developments. She is such a precious little baby! We love having her in our home and feeling her spirit. And I have my little snuggler now!
Well, here are a few more pictures to enjoy! You can always see more by clicking on the links to the side of my blog.
6 comments:
I know how insanely tough it is that first little bit--hang in there! This too shall pass! That was my mantra for the first few months. And breastfeeding is a lot harder than those experienced moms make it look, but hang in there--this too gets easier and soon enough you'll be a pro. You do kinda feel like a cow the first little bit, but eventually, like 2-3 months, their feedings slow down and they can go for longer and longer stretches without needing to eat all of the time. I love nursing now, that's just me, but I am glad I stuck with it. I wanted to quit many times, trust me. You guys are doing great, you're awesome parents-- I have no doubts! Thanks for sharing--you're much better at blogging than I was! :)
Caleb had blocked tear ducts also. For him it lasted till he was about 3-4 months. You're doing exactly what the doctor told me to do -- just gently massage the eye at the bridge of the nose in a circular motion for a few minutes 2-3 times a day. And I'd use a damp cloth to occasionally wipe out the gunk. You'll want to bring it up the next time she visits the pediatrician because we were told that if the problem is significant and persistent enough, we'd have to take Caleb to see an ophthalmologist for a potential surgery on the tear ducts. He also warned us that if he caught a cold, it would pretty much mean an automatic eye infection, so you have to be careful of that. Luckily his cleared up on his own and he's fine now.
I hope the feeding gets better! I didn't have the patience to stick it out with Garrett -- he was such a lazy eater, and getting formula out of a bottle was what he preferred. I'm sure if we were both feeling up to it, we could have made it work, but my stress levels couldn't handle it. You're right, though -- for the first couple months, all it feels like you're doing is feeding your baby.
Hang in there! It sounds like you're doing a fine job. :)
I echo what the two ladies above me said. The first little while seems like all you do is feed your baby. It gets better - Miyah's so proficient it only takes 5 minutes now, but at the beginning it was at least 45 minutes long. And then as you said they need to eat every 2-3 hours. But it gets better, and it's definitely worth it! So hang in there.
Miyah also had the same thing with her eye. We did end up going to the Urgent care and they gave us some ointment to help clear her eye up, but it sounds like what you're doing works. So go David!
And finally, I love that picture of her in the little cradle. Let me know if you need anything or when you're up to hanging out. Check out my blog in a bit for some fun news :)
Everyone will tell you this but seriously know...IT GETS BETTER! I had the hardest time breastfeeding Elizabeth at first it was almost impossible but I just had it in my mind there was no other option. It gets easier. I hope everything works out and trust me it will get easier. Hang in there...She is a doll!
Kimberly -- you've got lots of support from friends and family who care. You are a great mother, so don't get too down on yourself. It's not easy, but it's so worth it! After all, I made it through you!!! You and David are both doing great, and Lydia is so precious. I'm so glad I was able to spend the week with you. I miss holding and cuddling with her. Neil must have enjoyed it too, because he didn't want to come back home! He loves his little niece.
The first couple of weeks are so hard, Michael wasn't too good at nursing initially either. Then you factor in sleep deprivation and hormones and you think "good grief, I don't remember signing up for this, cute baby yes, all this other stuff, um no." Then a year will pass and you'll still think the first couple of weeks were some of the hardest in your life. I always say that I didn't know you could obsess over another person's eating habits until you have a child. As far as the clogged tear duct, it is totally common, and all you can do is massage it and put warm cloths on it, sometimes they go away quickly sometimes not, they usually don't even consider surgery unless it goes on for more than a year. Michael's cleared up after about 3 months. You are doing a great job, Lydia is lucky to have you and David for parents!
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