One Week

Samantha is one week old today, and oh, what a week it's been! Everything has been a blur, and I don't know if that's because we've been doing so much running around between the hospital and pediatrician appointments and visitors, but yeah... it's been a long one regardless.

Monday:

Sami was born. The day was spent recouping, resting, and welcoming visitors.

Tuesday:

The pediatrician came to see Sam in the morning. She said she wanted some blood work done done because they thought she was looking a little jaundiced.

Wednesday:

The pediatrician wanted more bloodwork to be done because the bilirubin levels just weren't where she wanted to see them before letting her go home. It was later decided that Samma needed to stay an extra day under the UV the lights. I was technically discharged, but because I was breastfeeding, they put me up in a boarding room overnight, only to see Sami every 3 hours for 30 minute intervals for feedings, trying to supplement with formula to help flush her system as the bilirubin breaks down. I didn't like giving her the formula so early, but luckily she didn't like taking it either. On a plus side to that, she had no problem taking to a bottle, so that's going to be good when I start pumping.

Thursday:

The pediatrician ordered two more blood tests to be done at 5am and 1pm. Samantha had also lost about 7% of her birth weight, which was normal with exclusively breastfed newborns, but with everything else going on, they were monitoring that as well. Around 3pm we get the thumbs-up to go home, with lab work and a pediatrician's appointment schedule for the following morning.

Friday:

We went to the hospital for lab work in the morning, with a follow-up pediatrician's appointment afterwards. Unfortunately Sami's bilirubin levels went up again, so we had to bring the poor girl back up to the hospital for another blood test. If we found that the levels continued to climb back up, Sami and I would have to be readmitted to Pediatrics at the hospital so that she could go back under the lights. Luckily, her levels went back down in the afternoon, and the pediatrician wanted another blood test done in the morning to make sure they stayed down.

Saturday:

More lab work and another pediatrician's appointment in the morning. Her levels had gone back up again, so we decided a day in the sun before another lab was done that afternoon was in order, and apparently it worked, because her levels went back down!

Sunday:

Another test and another appointment - the levels didn't go up! They didn't go down much either, but at least it was a step in the right direction. Unfortunately, another test and appointment were ordered for the morning because we wanted to see a greater decrease than we had been.

Today:

One more lab and pediatrician appointment in the morning - and the levels went down again! The pediatrician was very please with this news, and believed we had hit our plateau and now everything was going to be in a downward motion. For the first time in a week, we wouldn't have to go to the hospital for a blood test the next day, and our next pediatrician's appointment isn't until Wednesday for a weight check.

Despite all of this, Sami is clinically fine. Her vitals are perfect, she's responsive, eating like you wouldn't believe, and gaining an ounce a day - she left the hospital at 6lbs 3 oz we believe (never really told) and constantly gained an ounce at every appointment. She was at 6lbs 7oz today, so we're almost back up to her birth weight!

It's crazy though - if all this running around had been for any other reason, I could definitely see Chris and myself just getting to a breaking point, but we did good... I think we really lucked out that the hospital and doctor's office were so close to us, because I can't imagine how frustrating all this back and forth could have been if we had to go into Boston every time. But no - we stuck to it because we knew it was for Sami's best interest, and that made it all worth it.