Learning about Bilirubin

Please pray for Ivy Jane...she was admitted back into the hospital today at about 12:30. The good news is that she is on the pediatric floor and I can be in the room with her tonight.

Last night Shelby and I felt like her skin was looking pretty yellow & I decided I would call the pediatrician first thing this morning. She had cautioned us before we were discharged from the hospital to watch for it so we felt like we were keeping a close eye on her. I had an appointment with the lactation nurse & she performed a bilirubin screening on her so that we could stay at the hospital and not have to go to the doctor's office. She thought she looked yellow, too. SO, when the lab results came back & her level was at a 19.5 (anything above a 12 is considered high) she told me they would be admitting her for at least 24 hours, possibly 48. WHAT?! I was surprised...not exactly what I wanted to do today! SO, we are back in the hospital and Ivy Jane is stripped down with nothing but a monitor and a headband covering her eyes and is getting photo therapy. It basically looks like she's lying naked in a tanning bed! She only comes out every three hours for me to feed her & love on her for 30 minutes and then it's back under the lights...so hard to give her back to the nurse! It's been very hard for me to sit here and not scoop her up and cuddle with her. I know jaundice is somewhat common and I know God is going to heal her little body, it's just not fun at all to see my 5 day old getting treatments and to sit helplessly beside her. And then there's the fact that Georgia is home without her momma and I miss her terribly, too. Add to all of that the fact that I just gave birth 5 days ago and I am a bit hormonal! Yes, the tears have been flowing today! Poor Shelby..

A couple of good things...Ivy Jane did AWESOME at our lactation appointment. She is eating so good! It has been an incredible experience to watch her over the last few days. Another good thing? I've already lost 20 pounds!!! Can you say fluid retention?! I am thankful to be able to see my ankle bones again.

Info we've learned about bilirubin..

A common condition in newborns, jaundice refers to the yellow color of the skin and whites of the eyes caused by excess bilirubin in the blood. Bilirubin is produced by the normal breakdown of red blood cells.

Normally, bilirubin passes through the liver and is excreted as bile through the intestines. Jaundice occurs when bilirubin builds up faster than a newborn's liver can break it down and pass it from the body. Reasons for this include:

Newborns make more bilirubin than adults do since they have more turnover of red blood cells.

A newborn baby's still-developing liver may not yet be able to remove adequate bilirubin from the blood.

Too large an amount of bilirubin is reabsorbed from the intestines before the baby gets rid of it in the stool.

So, please remember Ivy Jane in your prayers...specifically pray for comfort and a peaceful night's/day's sleep for her, for her to keep her appetite (the more she eats, the more she poops getting rid of the bilirubin) and for a decrease in bilirubin levels so drastic that we can go home tomorrow!