Save your Drama for your Mamma

Maxing and relaxing on Daddy's chest

We had a dificult Labor Day.  We had been pretty pleased with our progress as parents on Saturday and Sunday evening.  CC was sleeping and eating regularly and I was being a hover-er over her to make sure she was breathing, etc. throughout the night.  We had the post partum appointment on Labor Day and we got ready to go (I started getting ready at like 7:30 and the appointment was at 10:30).

The nurse took two new parents and shook us up.  She told us that CC was extremely jaundiced and we needed to get blood work immediately, start supplementing with the syringe and tube at the breast and perhaps we'd be admitted to the hospital later that day for her to be under the billi lights. 

We were panicked.  Not because of the jaundice, but becaue of all the other things she told us to do that were contrary to ALL we had learned, experienced, and observed that were "healthy" behaviors and routines for babies.

Needless to say--Monday night was absolutely the most incredibly difficult night.  I was crying, hysterical, and yes partially due to hormones but mostly due to the fact that we'd thrown out all our instincts, intuition, and decided to follow the advise of this woman we met for 25 minutes briefly.

Without going into too much detail, some deep relaxing techniques, prayer, and resting helped us to see the light that perhaps the woman who tried to steer to educated, intelligent people away from what they knew to be helpful was not correct.  We survived the night barely, but were more than ready to see the pediatrican on Tuesday."

We had the appointment where they did an additional billirubin test on Tuesday at the Ped's office.  He didn't seem to be as concerned and dramatic as the lady at the post partum clinic was and instructed us on some basics that we already knew but had allowed that lady to steer us away from temporarily. 

You might say that Dr. Nick the pediatrican helped us to see the light.  He stressed the importance of momma and baby getting rest and that if momma isn't taking care of herself, she can't take care of baby either.  He told us to forgo the supplemental feedings at the breast, no more marathon feedings, rest rest rest in addition to many more helpful hints. 

He wanted to see CC on Friday of that week to follow up with her second PKU test and check her Jaundice.  He was convinced that she was behaving as a typical newborn would.  He also gave me reassurance as a first time mom, that just because things weren't happening as the "textbook" says they "should" doesn't mean that there is necessarily anything wrong.

Little CC in her swing for the first time...
Boy she looks tiny in that HUGE swing!

He noticed right away that she was acting a little fussy.  She hadn't been fussy prior to the "Labor Day Event" because we'd been incorporating what we'd read, heard in our classes, and instintively knew we were to be doing.  I realized that my drama and anxiety was probably feeding into her fussiness as a direct result she was reacting to my reactions!  What an eye opening concept! 

We had the appointment on Friday where he reassured us yet again that her Jaundice looked even better that day and that we should continue as we'd been and he'd see us in another week.  She has been happy as a clam since then!

Kiki aka "The Guardian" of her little sister.
She won't let Claudia be more than one person away from her.
She is the ultimate protective bib sister!