Don't get hyper, mom!

 The soft rays of sun were making him close his not-so-open eyes. My mom shifted her chair as the rays shifted their stance. He was in my mom's lap, wrapped loosely in a tender cotton quilt.


I watched this scene from the window of my room, in the hospital. There was a lush green lawn outside. The coconut trees planted along the compound wall and other trees besides, kept a part of the lawn always in shade. Mom had placed the chair strategically, so that it wasn't completely in the shade nor in harsh sunlight.

Just days young baby not properly wrapped, out, under the sun. My heart would skip a beat.


But the doctor had advised to take him out in sun, early in the morning everyday.

My baby's blood report was out, on the second day of his birth and we got to know he had jaundice. The bilirubin levels were high. The doctor said that the liver of babies is immature. The liver can't remove bilirubin quickly enough, hence most babies have jaundice when they are born. Moreso, if the weight of babies is low the levels are higher. My baby's weight was average so the levels weren't that high. Still, I was worried for him. He's not even a day old and does he need medication now? I thought.


Doctor said, Don't get hyper dear mom, you are in your postpartum period. She calmly explained the details to me. She said that jaundice is common in newborns, it's called 'physiologic jaundice', typically appears on 2nd or 3rd day of birth.

When bilirubin builds up faster than the liver can break it down, that's when you get jaundice. Once the baby passes it's stools, the bilirubin count goes down. To enhance the process, 'Light therapy' also called as 'Photo therapy' is used. Baby is placed under a special lamp that emits light in the blue-green spectrum. This light changes the shape and structure of bilirubin molecules in such a way that it can be excreted through both urine and stool. Even soft rays of sunlight, early in the morning, helps.

In case the blood type of baby and mother is different, then you need intravenous transfusion. But that's not the case with you, she said.


I was relieved after getting aware of the details.

My little champ pooped the next day and

my happiness knew no bounds. Never in my life have I ever felt happy on seeing somebody poop. Motherhood makes you do anything and everything!



PC: morinagaplatinum.com


AUTHOR'S NOTE: For the prompt 'Welcome to motherhood: The newborn and jaundice'. 

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