We've quickly discovered that "worry" emerges very soon in parenthood. Thursday, we took Addison Claire to Jackson for her follow-up appointment with the neonatologist. The nurse took blood to check her bilirubin levels since she was a little jaundiced when we left he hospital. Her levels had increased tremendously in just the two days since we had been home, so we were sent home with two phototheraphy lights that we had to keep on her and were told to come back for another blood check first thing Friday morning. We also found that she had lost down to 5 lbs. and 4 ozs. after weighing in at 6 lbs. and 4 ozs. at birth. With her jaundice levels so high and her weight down, we were sent home with instructions to supplement my breastfeeding with formula. The doctor said if her levels weren't down and her weight didn't go up by today, that they would have to put her back in the hospital. And then came the stress and worry....Colin and I both were just sick on Thursday afternoon thinking we would have to leave her at the hospital nursery for a few days. However, thanks to many prayers and the good Lord above, her levels were down from 23 to 16 today (pretty incredible) and she had gained 5 ozs. We were sent home with one of the phototherapy lights that we have to keep on her for the next 48 hours and we go back Sunday for another blood/bilirubin check. It's very hard to feed her, change her and hold her with the lights on her, but we are adjusting. She looks like a little glo-worm all wrapped up in lights. There is an eery glow that radiates from her bassinet when we turn out the lights. I've posted some pictures of our precious Glo-worm above. I'm sure we will laugh about it some day. In trying to find an outfit for the doctor, we realized that even her newborn size clothes are huge on her, so we had to go buy some preemie clothes for her doctor's visits and other outings. I did let her wear one of her newborn dresses to the doctor and it swallowed her, but it was still cute and everyone kept calling her "Little Bit" at the doctor's office. We feel so blessed to be a family of three now!
Friday, September 01, 2006
Our Glo-Worm Baby
We've quickly discovered that "worry" emerges very soon in parenthood. Thursday, we took Addison Claire to Jackson for her follow-up appointment with the neonatologist. The nurse took blood to check her bilirubin levels since she was a little jaundiced when we left he hospital. Her levels had increased tremendously in just the two days since we had been home, so we were sent home with two phototheraphy lights that we had to keep on her and were told to come back for another blood check first thing Friday morning. We also found that she had lost down to 5 lbs. and 4 ozs. after weighing in at 6 lbs. and 4 ozs. at birth. With her jaundice levels so high and her weight down, we were sent home with instructions to supplement my breastfeeding with formula. The doctor said if her levels weren't down and her weight didn't go up by today, that they would have to put her back in the hospital. And then came the stress and worry....Colin and I both were just sick on Thursday afternoon thinking we would have to leave her at the hospital nursery for a few days. However, thanks to many prayers and the good Lord above, her levels were down from 23 to 16 today (pretty incredible) and she had gained 5 ozs. We were sent home with one of the phototherapy lights that we have to keep on her for the next 48 hours and we go back Sunday for another blood/bilirubin check. It's very hard to feed her, change her and hold her with the lights on her, but we are adjusting. She looks like a little glo-worm all wrapped up in lights. There is an eery glow that radiates from her bassinet when we turn out the lights. I've posted some pictures of our precious Glo-worm above. I'm sure we will laugh about it some day. In trying to find an outfit for the doctor, we realized that even her newborn size clothes are huge on her, so we had to go buy some preemie clothes for her doctor's visits and other outings. I did let her wear one of her newborn dresses to the doctor and it swallowed her, but it was still cute and everyone kept calling her "Little Bit" at the doctor's office. We feel so blessed to be a family of three now!
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