The Second Problem: Biliruben

We had a second problem with Elizabeth which started before she went into the hospital , her biliruben was too high. At first Dave, myself, and Jeanne (our midwife) disagreed and refused the test for it, finding it unnecessary. But after 3 doctors in the hospital requested it, I succumbed only after they agreed to do the blood draw right in front of me and while I nursed. I did NOT want her being upset by a needle stick right after having surgery on her belly. I was fearful the crying would be too much on her surgical site. Well, her levels came back just below the criteria level for treatment. She was to be tested again the next day, but they would have home-health care come to my house to test her since it was Christmas and there would be no clinics open. The next testing came back high so they ordered a bili-bed for her. It was like this.
She just had to lay on it with only her diaper on. It didn’t seem very comfortable - like a very taught hammock, but I guess she didn’t mind it. She was still young enough to sleep on a board. I was sleeping when the person delivering it came, so when I woke up I saw Elizabeth all packaged in it. I cried though when I saw her in it, mostly because I was still having postpartum depression, hmm did I mention that yet? I guess that will be it’s own subject later.

She remained in it for a couple of days, only coming out for feedings and changing diaper. I hated that because I was in those first critical days of bonding and all I wanted to do was hold her! Especially after just coming home from surgery and feeling like life was fragile - I just wanted to hold her and now I wasn’t supposed to. I cheated a few times and held her for a couple hours anyway. The light did help though - and within hours she was perking up. High biliruben makes babies very sleepy - which makes it hard to nurse them and they need to nurse to pee out the biliruben. After a few days of high biliruben, if it’s not excreted in the urine, it goes into the blood stream and then the ultra-violet lights are needed to break it down and excrete it. After a day on the lights she was waking up on her own finally, instead of my trying to wake her up. She would nurse sooo much better and she was starting to pee more. So I was thankful for the light (in retrospect).