3 days old, jaundiced and 8.7% weight loss

[llareggub]

I hope someone can give me some hints.

DS2 is 3 days old, was born at 38 weeks and was 7 pounds 9 at birth. I had gestational diabetes and his blood sugar was monitored for 24 hours, all good.

He is breastfed and as I am still breastfeeding DS1 (2.5 years) my milk supply is fine, latch is fine etc. However DS2 is sleepy, looks jaundiced and is currently having a sunbathe in our conservatory. I am going to wake him up in a minute for a feed as he last fed at 11am.

The MW muttered darkly about giving him a formula top-up if his weight doesn't improve on Sunday. I'd love to avoid this as it really messed things up with DS1 and I want to continue with exclusive breastfeeding.

I have a vague idea that it might be an idea to take to bed and do skin to skin, but he is very sleepy today so it might just make him sleep more.

Anyone have any ideas or experiences to share?

Better advice will be along shortly, but feed, feed, feed! A babymoon in bed is lovely - get all your supplies together, plenty of drinks, snacks, laptop for MNing if possible!

In a similar situation I ignored the top-up advice, and just fed as often as possible, and the weight loss had become weight gain by next weigh-in.

Congratulations on your lo and best of luck with feeding!

Better advice will be along shortly, but feed, feed, feed! A babymoon in bed is lovely - get all your supplies together, plenty of drinks, snacks, laptop for MNing if possible!

In a similar situation I ignored the top-up advice, and just fed as often as possible, and the weight loss had become weight gain by next weigh-in.

Congratulations on your lo and best of luck with feeding!

Oops! How did that happen?

llareggub - your baby needs to be close to you so he can be stimulated not to sleep and sleep. Being skin to skin will mean more feeding - you will be able to respond to ever smal feeding cue and your smell, sound and touch will prevent him from sleeping for long hours.

Bit that the midwife chose to mutter darkly about formula than to suggest this easy way of ensuring a baby takes more milk.

Thanks both.

I'm going to have a quick bath and then take to my bed with DS2 for lots of skin to skin. He fed really well last night in bed so I am hoping that it will do the trick. I'll just have to find some way of keeping DS1 out first as he is a bit excitable.

I was a bit at the the advice from the midwife but she was a bit disapproving that I am still feeding DS1. She was very concerned that I wouldn't have any colostrum and wanted to know what I thought about that. She told me to keep one breast for DS1 and one for DS2 so that the right milk would go to the right child. I'm not convinced that this is correct either, so I shall carry on offering both.

Your midwife is seriously underinformed - this is really very bad.

Of course you produce colostrum.

Divvying up your breasts like she suggests will not divvy up your milk, and she should flippin well know that.

www.kellymom.com/nursingtwo/faq/16milkchanges.html

Great link, tiktok, thank you so much.

I've always taken their breastfeeding advice with a huge pinch of salt. The best advice I ever had was from my mumsnet (twas you in fact) with DS1 under a different name after they gave me such terrible advice last time.

Am off to bed now with DS2, via the bath. Thanks again. I will post with an update on his hopefully improved weight gain on Sunday.

Enjoy bath and bed

Things to watch for are lots of yellow poo from tomorrow onwards (would be a good sign if poo starts to turn green today) and heavy nappies showing he's producing plenty of wee.

When the dust settles you might even write a note about this midwife's lack of good info.

Glad I helped last time, you're welcome.

Just a comment about being in the sunshine for the jaundice. It's the UV light he needs and it doesn't get through glass (a fact a lot of midwives don't know). A few minutes outside is better and it doesn't need to be direct sun either (so as to spare his precious skin) reflected daylight is fine so make sure he's in some sort of shade (obviously light shade is better.

As far as the feeding goes, the more the better. I agree about the skin on skin and doing this should get more fluid in him which is good for the jaundice.

The weight issue is less problematic. You obviously know what you're doing with breast feeding. Pretty much all little ones lose in the first few days. By next week it'll be a different story. Again encouraging feeding by being close will do the trick.

If you're in doubt about anything you're told by a professional, ask to see the research. If they just say that their advice is 'policy' ask how the poilcy is interpreted for your particular situation.

SORRY everyone. I got it wrong UVA does go through glass but UVB (which is responsible for sunburn doesn't)

Well, the feeding has been going well this afternoon and evening, with him feeding every hour and a half or so. His poo is looking greeny and he has weed on me once or twice. I suspect his skin is returning to normal so I am hopeful things are on the up.

Thanks for all of your help and support. Am off for another bath and bed!

Thats great it is getting better.