I had my little man on the 9th. And he's always been a little fussy at the breast, but they said while in there not to worry about how long it was taking between feedings, that it was just a first day thing and that he'd eventually be more alert and want to eat more often.
Well he's still at about 4-5 hours apart for feedings, and then only for about 15 minutes. He's only had about 2 wet diapers today, and 2 poopy ones. He just sleeps all the time and is hard to wake up, and then once he does, he's not really interested in feeding. I'm not sure what to do, we even tried one of the little ready made formual bottles we left the hospital with, wasn't even interested in that.
I'm just really worried, we're going to call the Well Baby Clinic tomorrow and see what they say, at our appt today he had lost more weight and his jaundice levels went up and they said to wake him every two hours and try to feed him, but he is hard to keep up at everytwo hours and maybe eats for 3 minutes before falling right back asleep, so that hasn't worked, plus both of us just get soaked with breastmilk while trying.
Any hints or tips, or ideas of what could be the problem? I try waking him up by undressing him, changing his diaper etc, but it doesn't keep him awake for long.
Are breastfed babies more likely to develop jaundice?
Breastfed babies are more likely than formula-fed infants to develop jaundice (3). However, jaundice occurs mainly in babies who are not nursing well (3, 4). These babies may not get enough calories and may become dehydrated, both of which may contribute to jaundice. Breastfeeding mothers should nurse their babies at least 8 to 12 times a day for the first several days of life to help keep their baby’s bilirubin level down (4).
The AAP recommends that all healthy full-term and near-term babies be breastfed (4). Breastmilk is the ideal food for babies and provides many health benefits, including reducing the risk of infections.
What are the signs of jaundice?
Yellow discoloration usually first appears on the face and in the whites of the eyes. A parent often can tell if a baby has jaundice by looking at the baby under natural daylight or in a room that has fluorescent lights. If a parent thinks there is a yellowish color, he should contact the baby's health care provider.
Most babies with jaundice are alert and eat and sleep normally. However, a parent should call the baby's health care provider immediately or seek emergency medical care if a baby with jaundice (1, 4):
- Appears very yellow
- Is hard to wake
- Sucks or nurses poorly
- Appears floppy or stiff (or alternates between both)
- Arches the neck or back backwards
- Develops a high-pitched cry or fever
- Has unusual eye movements
These may be warning signs of dangerously high levels of bilirubin that require prompt treatment to prevent a rare form of brain damage called kernicterus.
What is kernicterus?
Kernicterus is a type of brain damage caused by high levels of bilirubin. It can cause athetoid cerebral palsy (characterized by uncontrollable tremors or writhing movements of the limbs, body and face), hearing loss, problems with vision and, sometimes, mental retardation.
No baby should develop kernicterus because there are effective treatments that can lower bilirubin levels before they become dangerous. While kernicterus is rare, the exact incidence in the United States is unknown. About 125 babies with kernicterus were reported to a kernicterus registry from 1984-2002 (5). The number of affected children may be rising, possibly due in part to early hospital discharge of babies before jaundice is recognized or diagnosed.
CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR NEW ARRIVAL!!!
Hugs!
My last two breastfed and was jaundiced. Fell asleep often. It was hard but we pushed through.
It's pretty common for babies to be more sleepy then hungry for the first few days...just keep offering every hour or so. If baby isn't more hungry in a day or two I would definetly take him to the doctor just to make sure everythings okay but it sounds pretty normal!
First off, congratulations on your little one! We had a similar problem with my little guy. I ended up pumping my breast milk so we could monitor how much he was actually getting. I ended up having to supplement with formula. I just had a sleepy kiddo. I would almost remove the onesie, unswaddle him and sometimes use some cool(ish) water to wake him up. Good luck sweetie!
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on Feb. 12, 2012 at 3:23 AM