Talk me down newborn jaundice

[99redspottedducks]

I had a baby a week ago tomorrow
When she was weighed two days ago she had lost 8% weight and MW said she looked a little jaundice but milk would flush it through FF.
we have a weigh in tomorrow she's drinking well every 3-4 hrs but I've convinced myself we'll be taken back to hospital for weight loss and light therapy
Although DH said her colour is good
Whites of her eyes are a little yellow
Apparently a bit of jaundice is normal
Just need talking down really as I've been in tears at the prospect of hospital
As my previous child was under lights for 3 days and it really effected me

Jaundice is very normal!! Particularly in newborns and it often lasts longer in breastfed babies.
Please try not to worry. My sons was gone in a week. My daughter got referred to hospital for a test as hers was still there at 3 weeks. My daughter had an assisted delivery with vountous so that prolonged it I believe.

Weight loss was within normal limits. A bit of newborn jaundice is totally normal, the majority of babies have some. My second didn't stop looking a bit yellow until he was 3-4 weeks old and he was such a voracious feeder that he only lost 2% birth weight.

I think the odds of baby needing to go to hospital are very low if alert and drinking well. Most cases resolve just fine at home with milk and sunlight. Put her basket by the window for sleeps if you haven't been already and let her have some sunlight.

My son lost 11.9% birth weight but my midwife was amazing and didn't round up to 12% so he didn't have to go back in thankfully! She said she would call back the next day to see where we were at and in the meantime my milk came in so he put on 4oz.

He was basically orange for 10 days! They did a test on him (I think it was heel prick...) and his levels were coming down (want to say bilirubin) as soon as he was getting plenty of milk, even though he still looked a funny colour!

I don't think they will take baby back in unless really necessary and if she is drinking well etc. then her levels will be coming down - get her outside in the garden/for walks as much as you can (not direct sunlight obviously, but MW said any sort of light is great) x

Yes it is very normal and me and D's were readmitted to hospital for too much weight loss and light therapy. They said he was almost at risk of blood transfusion.
I remember posting back then and people had said to leave baby on carry cot beside a closed window obviously making sure baby doesn't get too hot.
We were put on a feeding plan of 60ml milk every 2 hours and I would pump my milk and top up with formula.
I know the feeling and it is shit. I think the thing is if a baby is jaundiced they are tired so they don't eat as much then lose weight become more jaundiced as so it goes on.

Why I brought my little girl home she was pretty jaundice, lost 11% of her weight and was almost glowing she was so yellow, she looked like a Simpson.

We managed to flush her out by feeding at home, she made it eight to the margin on the jaundice scale and we were told to expect her to need to go to hospital, levels were checked next day and they had come down, we had a few more visits from the HV after that to check but they kept coming down and she was back to normal in no time.

Just keep feeding her she’ll be absolutely fine op!

My DC had BM jaundice for about 6 weeks PP. Bloods were taken to make sure it was nothing nefarious, but other than that they encourage me to expose to filtered sunlight and feed feed feed! I suppose what I am saying is not all jaundice leads to admissions although I can well understand your fears

The NHS says that 60% of newborns have some jaundice, but only 5% of those require hospital treatment. So it's actually more common than not for babies to be a bit jaundiced, but rare for them to need anything more than milk at home to sort it out.

Everything sounds normal and within range op.
I think because your first had light therapy it’s reminding you how it’s it’s affected you, which is completely understandable.
Every newborn I’ve known has lost abit weight and been jaundice and I’ve never known any of them to be admitted.
Hope her check goes well tomorrow.

All my children had jaundice, the eldest two under lights and I blamed myself like crazy each time. With my youngest I explained this to my midwife, who told me that with the children being a different blood group to me it was most likely the reason why, and I was being silly for blaming myself over something that was probably inevitable.

Thank you
Reading these comments have calmed me down
Everything was going so well until Tuesday
Have everything crossed she's gained weight tomorrow and there is no concerns

Some good news midwife happy with her colour no concerns regarding jaundice now thank goodness
She's only gained 10grams though
But a gain is a gain heading in right direction

My little boy lost 11% weight and had jaundice, he was gaining so slowly at the beginning - literally 10-20g every few days. The midwife explained that the energy from his milk intake was all going to flushing the jaundice out. Once it started to clear, he gained weight v quickly. You're doing great 😊

Jaundice is so common! When I had DD we thought ashe has a beautiful tan - nope, just jaundice 😂 It can take a bit of time to go but I'm sure you'll be fine. I had it as a baby and I was popped in front of a sunny window to help shift it too.

Great news, well done op!