Billy and his Bilis

All newborns are susceptible to jaundice, but when premature the chances of jaundice setting in are even more likely.

Having been delivered at just 36 weeks, Billy has indeed got jaundice.  They measure the severity of it by using a monitor to check the bilirubin levels – known as bili numbers or Bilis for short.

On day 1 he was in the high intermediate category, but stable enough to come home.  By day 3 he’d dropped to the upper scale of the low intermediate level and yesterday he’d dropped even further and was towards the bottom of the low intermediate risk category. So, each day his risk level is reducing, although his actual bili number is rising – risk level is based on number of hours/days since birth as well as the actual number. 

Yesterday, Billy’s level was 13.1.  The aim is to get it below 10. They way to do this is a cyclical pattern of feed, pee and poop. Basically they pee and poop out the bilirubins.  This combined with the fact that he’s still losing weight (born at 6lb 10oz, weighing 6lb 2oz yesterday) means we’re on a 2.5 – 3 hour round the clock feeding /  pumping cycle.  Little change here as we’ve had to be waking him every 3 hours since birth anyway.

It’s his weight gain, or rather lack of that’s worrying me now. Despite the above feeding frenzy over the last 24 hours, he’s still losing weight. He’s not yet lost 10% of his birth weight which is considered normal but we’re not far off.  I have a horrid feeling that I’m about to hear the words ‘failure to thrive’ from the lactation consultant – every mother’s nightmare.

We’re now feeding every 2.5 hours and increasing his feed – he’s comfortably draining 2oz per bottle which is what we’re offering him, so fingers crossed he just needs a bit more a bit more frequently.