Jaundice

This has become one of my least favorite words. That and Biliruben. Whenever I hear one of these, I picture this:

After Magdalyn's initial stay on the Bilibed, her levels dropped significantly and she was able to come off the lights. Then at her two week appointment, the doctor said she was looking pretty yellow again. I had noticed that too, but was hoping it was just my imagination. It wasn't. They drew her blood once again and I got a call later that day. Sure enough her levels had jumped back up. My doctor suggested I stop breastfeeding for 24 hours. When Kalianna was only a couple weeks old, she had breast milk jaundice and after 24 hours on formula, she was back to normal. Since it was the weekend and the lab wouldn't be open until Monday, I planned to stop breastfeeding Sunday morning.

I hate pumping! I love having the extra breast milk on hand in our freezer, but I really hate pumping! I think if I had to work, my girls would have been formula babies. So 24 hours of formula and bottles and sore breasts, and it was back to the doctor's.

This was my first outing with both girls on my own. Kalianna loves the toys at the doctor's office. You know the ones that all pediatricians seem to have. Where you push the shapes around the different colored wires. She gets a kick out of them! So it went well for the most part. Kalianna played with the wire toy...until she saw the stairs. That girl loves exploring stairs! She took off and wouldn't be coaxed back for anything, including the bribery of candy. So with my recently cut open stomach, where I'm supposed to be careful for several weeks, I had to run up a flight of stairs and carry a giggling two year old back down them. All the while, praying no one would kidnap my newborn.

But once we were in the room, she sat fairly well and enjoyed her sucker while they drew more of Magdalyn's blood. It definitely could have been much worse! A few hours later I got a phone call from the doctor. The formula had not done the trick like we were hoping. It was back to the lights and the Bilibed. Boo! They delivered the bed a few hours later and she will be on it until tomorrow morning (fingers crossed it won't be longer).

Magdalyn is the sweetest, most patient, calmest little baby ever. She rarely ever cries and when she does, it's a tiny little burst and then she is done. So when she actually cries, I know something is wrong. She cried a lot last night (for her). Magdalyn is very much a snuggle baby. She loves to be cuddled and held! So having to be back in that bed has been harder this time. She seems to be okay when she can see me and I am by her side, holding her hand. Or helping her with her binkie. But she didn't like it with the lights off in our room and me laying in bed, where she couldn't see me. Needless to say, I didn't sleep much last night. And today Kalianna and I have spent almost the entire day in my bedroom. Magdalyn is much happier when we are around. She is fighting the bed a lot more this time around. In fact, today she actually kicked two different holes right through the covering and I had to tape them back up. Have to admit, I am a little proud.

She is still such a trooper though! And hopefully after another blood test in the morning, she will be done with the Bilibed for good!