:( BF and Jaundice

Mommy2Isabella wrote: we think bella may be jaundiced. I am taking her to the ped. tomorrow. Well, someone told me that if she is jaundiced, I will have to stop breastfeeding? Is that true?

luvbug00 replied: I wouldn't think so..They wouldn't let me BF mya and she was severly jaundiced ( in the hospital for a week) but she was also low in birth weight. So I can't tell you for sure.

ZandersMama replied: Don't think so, Zander was jaundiced and I breastfed, just have to make sure she is getting lots of fluids, as long as she is getting enough you wont have to supplement.

amymom replied: old wives tale. Just keep her well hydrated. She will do fine. Good thinking having her seen by the peds.

**Edited to add**
I read Karen's great answer below and realized I really should have given you more info. My son was very jaundiced when he was newborn. He was close to having a transfusion. They thought there was some blood incompatibility. I was a nursing mother, Pediatrician asked me to stop nursing and formula feed. My OB, My Family practioner and the lactation nurses at the hospital ALL asked me to nurse every two hours. My son used the biliblanket and was kept in the hospital until he was 7 days old BUT he survived the high billirubin (causes jaundice) and he did very well. So my answer ought to include nurse more often and if you must add some water. (You could use a dropper or a cup if you do not want to use a bottle so early). Good Luck and Karen is a great resource.

coasterqueen replied: NO! Actually the VERY BEST thing for a jaundiced baby is to be breastfed. Breastfeeding is the FASTEST way to overcome jaundice.

mummy2girls replied:
NO NO NO NO!!!! they need to eat to get that out of the system... it helps... Please keep BFing

CantWait replied:
That's also the information I was given when Robbie had jaundice. Also sit in the sunlight, by a window for 15 minutes every so often with all her clothes off.

boyohboyohboy replied: When caleb was jaundize, the dr said to strip his clothes off to just his diaper, and sit him in his car seat in front of the window, and let the sun shine on him, the sun causes the body to metabolize the bilirubin, which causes the jaundise.
also as everyone else mentioned BF is the best thing to do, it flushes out her system.
its common, so dont be worried.....

its so hard to watch them take the blood for that test, but just give her lots of hugs...

amynicole21 replied: Both of my girls were jaundiced and breastfed.... Nurse! Nurse! Nurse!

MyLuvBugs replied: I wouldn't think so b/c usually keeping the kid hydrated will flush the liver faster. I say just BF like normal. KUP!! I hope she's fine.

coasterqueen replied: Yes, stripping them of their clothes and getting them indirect sunlight is good too. Just make sure she's not in the sunlight for very long at a time or she could get sunburned.

mysweetpeasWil&Wes replied: KEEP BF'DING!!!!!!! Both my kiddos were jaundiced. Had to go under the bili-lights for several days, Wil 7 days, Wesley 4 days. Anyhow, I didn't know any better, so I supplemented with Wil but I think that's why his bili-levels never went down and we were in the hospital so long. So I kept BF when Wesley was jaundiced and wahla, jaundice was gone A LOT sooner! Especially if your milk has come in, keep it up!!