Yiu-Khye - Week 3

2 October 2012 - Week 3

Jaundice

Khye's bilirubin level was 192 last Thurs. We skipped the test on weekends and tested again on Monday. I was praying for the level not to be more than 250. If not, Khye would have to be hospitalized to go under phototheraphy, which would be a pity, because his skin would get so dry, and he would have his eyes closed using eye pad all the time. Khye is already big enough and is now opening his eyes for a longer period of time every day.So it woild be a real pity if he had to have his eyes closed for almost the entire time, to get the most out of the phototheraphy.

But Khye was a good boy and when we took him to the Tg Bungah Gov Clinic on Monday, his level did not increase, and is 190. Although it is not very low, but it is low enough for me. I was smiling all the time at the clinic.

And when we went to the gov clinic to check again today, Fri, 5 Oct, reading dropped further to 142. We are all so relieved and happy!


Breastfeeding

We are still doing direct latching. No bottle feeding yet. I should be introducing bottle to Khye only when he is about 4 weeks old, to avoid nipple confusion.
I don't quite know how much Khye is consuming every time because I do not know how much he suckles. But as long as he poos and pees alright, and his weight is going up, then he should be having enough. And as long as I hear him sigh a contented relieve after every suckle, he should be alright.


Sunbathing

To further lower down his jaundice level, I took Khye down to our apartment garden for sunbathing every morning and every evening, when the sun is not too harsh. Every day, as long as the sun is shining. God has been kind these few days and there is more sun, and less rain this week.

I put a sarong on the soft bed of grass and lay down Khye there. If Khye's face faces the sun, then I would put a rolled up hanky over his eyes to shield from the sun. If his face turns away from the sun, then it is alright without the hanky.

I managed to capture many facial expressions of Khye while he was sunbathing with his eyes closed.

   

2 October 2012

How Is Mummy Doing?

Milk supply seems to have its own mood. At times, after Khye suckles, I need to express very long and could only get 2-3oz of milk. But at other times, I could yield 5-6oz.
However, my ebm is starting to fill up my freezer. Luckily my cousin is gonna lend me her freezer. Yay!

Been drinking lots of liquid - from Black Dates and Longan Water to Anlene Lacta Milk to Soups. This is the sure way I know that can make me have more breastmilk.

It is actually quite relaxing having Mum as my confinement lady. It is more flexible and I feel more relaxed. Mum is there to take care of Khye, to change his dirty napkins and such. This is extremely helpful especially in the middle of the night, when Mum only passes Khye to me for breastfeeding. Because I sometimes do wake up more often to express milk, often when Khye couldn't drain both breasts.

And in return, I get to spend some quality time with mum. We talk a lot as usual, and we even watched a classic series Thorn Birds on tv together. Richard Chamberlain and Christopher Plummer act in it, so you can imagine how old is this show. It is slow, but is nice, but of course the book is nicer, one of my favourites.

Ok...1+ week more to go until fullmoon, and my confinement is over. Yeah!