After taking Jack for his follow-up appointment with Dr. Fricker the day after we came home from the hospital and finding out his bilirubin level was back up to 17.4 we had to get the therapy lights to use at home. I was sad about this, but not surprised by it. Because of his Coombs Positive issue, we knew this was going to be a struggle. The doctors office arranged for a home health nurse to come to our house each day to do Jack's blood draws, so we didn't have to take him in to the doctor day after day. That was so helpful and the nurses were all so sweet! Jack was not a fan of laying in the bilibed at all, and of course it was so hard for us to leave him laying in there when all we wanted to do was cuddle and love on him. It was so hard to put his little mask back on him after he ate, especially when he was awake and his eyes were wide open. =0( We were SO thankful for G-Ma's help during these long nights...she took the first few shifts until around 2:30 or 3:00 AM, while Brian and I slept, and then we traded off the rest of the night. G-Ma really couldn't stand it when Jack would cry in the light bed, and she rescued him out of there several times. Haha! We were all completely exhausted, but we made it! Basically Jack had to stay under the lights all of the time, unless he was eating.
When they checked his bilirubin on Wednesday, it had gone down to 15.6 and he weighed 9 lbs, which was good but not enough to quit the lights.
Then on Thursday, it went down to 13.9 and he weighed 9 lbs 1 oz, which still wasn't enough to take him out of the lights.
Finally, on Friday, his bilirubin level came down to 12.9 and they told us we could stop the lights! (They like the number to be below 12 but since he was so close and he'd already been in the lights for 3 nights, Dr. Fricker thought that would be enough.)
I was SO relieved and happy! The plan was to go back to Dr. Fricker on Wednesday to recheck his levels to make sure they hadn't gone back up too much. We were really, really hoping that would be the end of the jaundice problem, but that wasn't the case. More about that later though.
He is so big that he pretty much filled up that entire little bed! Daddy fixed these soft blankets for him, to try to keep him as comfortable as possible.
Jack's first trip to Dr. Fricker's office, on Tuesday, the day after we got home from the hospital...he weighed 8 lbs 10 oz. We have to work on getting back up to birth weight over the next week. Because of Covid, they are only allowing one parent into doctors appointments right now. But, we didn't follow the rules for this first appt and we both went in. I was still hurting a lot and couldn't have done it by myself anyway.
Sweet baby feet!
We put the bilibed on the ottoman in the living room, so Jack could be right there with us. He did really well laying in it the first day. As time went on though, the longer he had to lay there, the more he fussed about it.
Jack at least got to listen to Dude Perfect while he laid there, so he was entertained!
Jonah put this little bear in the bed with Jack so he wouldn't be lonely!
Wednesday morning we had the first home health visit. Our first home health nurse was Meredith and she was so helpful and reassuring!
Jack's poor little heels were just pricked all over. =0(
At least we were all right there together!
Jack was covered with the sweetest, softest, blondest fuzz...especially on his arms and shoulders...I loved it so much! Mackenzie was really fuzzy like this as a newborn too.
Mackenzie stayed up with G-Ma and helped take care of Jack!
night 3 thurs
Jack likes his little seahorse that Grandma Baldwin brought him!
G-Ma couldn't take the crying...and of course, as soon as she "rescued" Jack, he would stop crying! It was so, so hard to put him back in the "cage!"
Especially when this is what his little eyes looked like when we took his mask off...poor baby!!
I think this was around 2:30 AM...she made it as long as she could! =0)
Taking a little break!
4:19 am
We had to try this method for a while because the crying was so bad.
This picture really shows the fuzz...Oh, I loved that fuzz!!
The last nurse check Friday morning.
We had to keep track of everything like this...
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