Search Results for: blog newborn jaundice

What to Expect If Your Baby is Jaundiced

If your baby is diagnosed with jaundice, the news can be scary for you. Jaundice can range from mild to severe. If left untreated, mild cases may resolve themselves. Severe cases could lead to brain damage or even death. Fortunately, for babies, jaundice is very common, and doctors and hospitals are well aware of the signs and the treatment. All three of my children were diagnosed with jaundice. Each had a different degree of jaundice and therefore different treatment or combination of treatments. Here is what to expect if your baby is diagnosed with jaundice. Pricks and blood tests Depending … Continue reading →

The Best of the 2007 Baby Blog

It has been an exciting year in the baby blog with a few changes in bloggers, several news stories, a few series started, and of course lots of information and reflection. This is a list of the best of the best. . .the best news, the best advice and the best of my personal favorites. With that I wish you all a Happy New Year, and look forward to an exciting year in 2008! Ask a Baby Blogger Series–This, in my opinion is one of the best things the baby blog has to offer. Granted, it’s my advice which I … Continue reading →

No More Pricks for Jaundice Babies

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Every single one of my girls has had physiological jaundice. Basically, babies have an excess of red blood cells that need broken down, their livers are immature and the result is a yellowish tinged baby. My third baby Meghan, was in the hospital for almost four extra days under lights in a NICU, while my full term twins were in the hospital for almost seven whole days basking in the glow of ‘the lights.’ Jaundice, if left unchecked can lead to brain damage and a whole host of other serious health problems. The best way to avoid jaundice is to … Continue reading →

Ask a Baby Blogger: Should I Wake My Baby to Breastfeed?

Question: My baby sleeps several hours at a time during the night. I’m worried that he isn’t getting enough milk and that my supply will decrease. Should I let him sleep or wake him up to nurse? Also, the nurses in the hospital said that I had to wake him every 2 hours to breastfeed–is that true? Sometimes there are clear answers to questions we are asked. In this case, however, I can tell you what I’ve done with my own children and give some guidelines but in general my answer is as follows: Are you kidding me? Get all … Continue reading →

Newborn Jaundice

I have 5 children and only 1 of them has escaped the hospital without “the lights” used to treat jaundice. Jaundice is not a big deal in terms of the health of your baby, but it does need to be treated and it could send you home without your baby for a few nights. What is It? Jaundice is what causes the yellow tinged skin and yellow eyeballs in newborns. Newborns get it because they have more red blood cells than they need. As the liver tries to break them down it produces a yellow pigment called biliruben. Because the … Continue reading →

Studies That Scare

I spent nearly two decades interviewing authentic and so-called “experts,” on every topic imaginable during my years as a television reporter… which is probably why I am an extremely skeptical individual. The media is notorious for broadcasting the latest and greatest studies about X, Y and Z, and in some cases not providing all the details. For example, recently I read an interesting article about a study conducted by Danish researchers who claim that they may have found a link between jaundice and autism. My curiosity was peaked given that my daughter suffered from extreme jaundice as a newborn. Danish … Continue reading →

Why You Should Take Gestational Diabetes Seriously

Today I took my glucose test for my monthly pregnancy check-up… you know that gross orange sugar drink they make you swallow down without any food or drink before or after. Well I failed my test. I had failed it during my first pregnancy, but then passed the actual test a week later. This time I failed by a greater margin, so much so that they aren’t even sending me for the actual gestational diabetes test, they are just assuming that I have gestational diabetes. So now what? Turns out there’s a lot more at risk than just having a … Continue reading →

Do You Have a Spring Baby?

I do, but not intentionally. I got married in the spring, got pregnant in early summer, and gave birth the following spring. The wedding ceremony was planned; the baby was a gift. I wasn’t one of those uber anal women, who mapped out everything, in hopes of having a baby in the spring in order to avoid suffering through her third trimester during the dog days of summer. Nor did I care that my baby was born in the spring, so he or she could make the cut-off for kindergarten. Baby books make a big deal about kids born during … Continue reading →

Big Baby!

I’m sure you’ve heard about the 19.2 lb baby that was born in Indonesia this past Monday. As I looked through the photos of this giant newborn, I realized he is not only much bigger than the average newborn, he is a couple pounds heavier than my 26 week old son! The average newborn weighs between 6 and 9 pounds approximately. That puts young Akbar at about triple the average size. Can you imagine cradling a 19 pound newborn in your arms? Infant carriers usually have a weight limit of about 22 pounds. This baby will quickly exceed that and … Continue reading →

Baby’s First Check Up 4

Your baby’s first check up is an involved examination that allows your baby’s doctor to asses the overall health of your infant, as well as check for anything that is serious or might develop into something serious. In this series, I have been taking a look at everything that is involved in your baby’s first check up. Hips You may see your baby’s doctor take a hold of your baby’s hips and move them back and forth and around the hip joints. I always thought this looked rough and reminded me of getting a chicken ready to roast. But this … Continue reading →