Our Little Glow Worm

When we left the hospital on Saturday, Peyton’s weight had dropped down to 5 lbs. 13 oz which they seemed to think wasn’t bad. By the following Monday she had dropped down another 2 oz. so went back to the pediatrician’s office on Tuesday for another weight check. She was still 5 lbs. 11 oz. but when they checked her bilirubin level it was high which meant she had jaundice and was going to have to have phototherapy at home. Even though I knew that this was a very common thing among newborns and have known several friends’ babies who have had jaundice, I went into meltdown mode at the pediatrician's office and then again when the home health nurse came to bring the phototherapy lamp.  She had barely gotten in the door before I started crying. I think she felt sorry for me because she completely violated HIPPA and told us that she had taken a phototherapy lamp to the house across the street from us earlier that day.  In fact, the couple that lives there have a newborn baby boy that is the same age as Peyton.  It's funny because the girl was induced on the same day as me and at the same hospital.  We were also in rooms across from each other after delivering our babies.

The home health nurse said that Peyton was to stay on the light at all times except for when she needed a diaper change or needed to be fed.  She also said that most babies like the light, but that was not the case with Peyton. The two nights that Peyton spent on it were AWFUL!!! She was so upset and wanted nothing to do with that light.  It was so hard because all we wanted to do was take her off of it and hold and comfort her but then again we didn't want to take her off of the light because we knew the longer she was on it the quicker her bilirubin levels would drop and the sooner she could come off of it for good. Thank goodness she was only on it for two days.  I don't know that she (or us) could have handled it much longer!

We had a follow-up appointment with the pediatrician today since Peyton came off of the phototherapy light yesterday afternoon and thankfully she got a good report.  Her weight was down to 5lbs. 10oz. but the doctor felt like she would start gaining weight over the course of the next few days.