Yellow Fellow

So yesterday, I was nursing Will, and I thought to myself, "He is looking yellow again."

Now, he doesn't look as yellow as he did a few weeks back, but the tint was there. And when he opened his eyes after his afternoon nap, I noticed the whites were not looking so white. I tried to tell myself that I was being silly and that jaundice doesn't come back, but I couldn't ignore the yellow tinge of Will's skin.

I called the pediatrician so that the nurse could have a good laugh at my silly first time motherness, but instead, they told me that jaundice can come back. So, we went into the doctor for the first time in two weeks.

Yes, folks, his jaundice is back. Or, more likely, it never really went away. We are still waiting on blood work for the actual levels, but at least I don't feel stupid for going in. I really do love our pediatrician and she is so good about not making me feel silly.

The good news is, she doesn't think it is severe. It is somewhat concerning that he still has any jaundice, but it is actually somewhat common in breastfed babies. The cure is to, once again, take Will off of breastmilk, this time for 36 hours. I pump and store my milk, he gets formula.

I am taking this in much more stride this time - what a difference it makes when the hormone crash isn't happening at the same time that you are dealing with a sick infant! We are really established with breastfeeding now and I am pretty sure that he will go back to the breast at the end of the time off. If not, then I would be okay with pumping, too. I am also going to treat myself to a nice glass of wine for dinner and then dump that milk. It will be nice to enjoy an adult beverage for the first time since I can't remember when. I know the "experts" say that a drink now and then while breastfeeding is okay, but I just don't feel right doing it. No judgment on anyone else! Logically, I think it's fine to indulge every now and then. Emotionally, it just feels weird when I go to actually drink the alcohol and I can't enjoy the drink because of that.

I am not happy that he is still still yellow, but the doctor doesn't seem concerned, so I am going to follow her lead. We have a follow up appointment next week, so I'll keep you posted!