Jenna's first 10 days!

Bilirubin is a product that results from the breakdown of hemoglobin. Total and direct bilirubin are usually measured to screen for or to monitor liver or gallbladder problems.

This is what has been controlling my life for the last 10 days since we brought Jenna home from the hospital. It started out innocent, her bilirubin results came back so she had to be on the lights. Big deal, lots of babies are on the lights, so Monday night we started.

Brett thought this was a cool picture of her on the lights at night.

Went to the Dr.'s office on Tues for another test, her results were higher than the day before. So another night on the lights, again whatever! Wednesday another test at the Dr.'s office. Her count came down but not enough to be off the lights. So now we didn't have to go back until Friday. Friday her bilirubin came down again, but still not enough to be off the lights, but enough that we could take her off periodically throughout the weekend. So Monday comes and we think, yes this is it, this is the day that we can stop worrying about this stuff. But NO! Monday her bilirubin count came back and was up! Seriously it went up! At this point I am getting really frustrated and honestly kind of worried. They told me that it could be breastmilk jaundice, so they had me supplement with formula and go back again on Tues. If the count didn't go up it would be breastmilk jaundice, if it went up then we would have to go in for more test. Well good news, I guess, is that it went down. So it's official she has breastmilk jaundice.

Breast milk jaundice is a type of neonatal jaundice associated with breastfeeding. It is characterized by indirect hyperbilirubinemia in a breastfed newborn that develops after the first 4-7 days of life, persists longer than physiologic jaundice, and has no other identifiable cause. It should be differentiated from breastfeeding jaundice, which manifests in the first week of life and is caused by insufficient production or intake of breast milk.

I had never heard of this before, but I guess that is what she has. I am just thankful that it wasn't too serious (I had lots of stuff going through my head), that I can continue to breastfeed, and eventual it will just go away on it's own.

Poor girl has only been in a diaper for this first 10 days of her life.

So now we are off this lights and trying to get ourselves on some kind of normal. Jenna really is doing good despite all this bilirubin stuff. She is back up to her birth weight, she has been sleeping good, and she has tolerated her brother and sister very well.