HI,
        Oh knowledgeable ones out there, I have a question about what is the
"normal" range of weightloss in the newborn in the first 3-5 days? I've got
a mom with a babe, 7lbs, 7oz at birth, down 14 oz at 3.5 days -- this seemed
like a quite a lot for so short a time????
        There are nursing issues, he was suctioned pretty good after fast
hard labor, chord around the neck, meconium in the amniotic fluid and mouth
to mouth to get him going. He refused the breast, grimacing, for the first
12+ hours... He does not bring his tongue over his bottom gum even during
screaming or fact making games with mom (no heart shaped tongue, but visible
frenulum looks stretched an white when he cries) and just to make things
fun, mom has large flat nipples, shells have help getting him enough to
latch onto.
        Another intersting note is that he has now turned a  mild shade of
grey/blue three times while nursing -- comes up his body over his head/face
then receeds to pink/yellow quite rapidly, baby never stops nursing. I urged
Mom to call HCP, midwife had seen it happen earlier that day as well. Mom
wondered if it was a "liver response" -- and we both wondered if she wasn't
squishing him some in the football hold she was using as it has only
happened in that position on that side...but it seems to me that it would be
circulatory??? any suggestions other than the already stated CALL THE HCP???
        I have seen what looks like great latch (EXCEPT no tongue in corners
of mouth) and ears wiggling-suckle, swallow sound, breath type pattern for
brief periods multiple times throughout a nursing. Breast
compressions/massage seem to increase the swallowing episodes. But even
after 2 hours of latching on and off with long 20min + of latching and
sucking with swallowing episodes this baby cried and cried until let back
onto the breast, more suckling more swallowing sounds briefly, this pattern
repeated for whole 2 hours+.
         Baby has had multiple BMs, still dark, and 3 wettings (twice have
been with diaper off, as they are doing lots' of skin to skin, keep him
awake contact during a warm weekend here) at now 3.5 days old.  Mild jaundice.
        I'm wondering how much of anything this baby is really getting given
that he's lost 12% of birthweight at 3.5 days old...or if there is something
else going on that is part of this turning blue/grey thing that is causing
him to lose weight so fast?
Anne E. Robb, MAT, LLLL
Off on a Tangent, Oregon, USA
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