Hi,
        The baby I posted about with the question of what are the normal
weight loss ranges for newborns, is now hospitalized. At 3.5 days he had
lost 14oz or 12% of his birthweight, at 4.5 days he was having more and more
of the turning blue episodes, had lost another 8oz (that's a total of 22
ounces in 4.5 days alive, doesn't that sound like ALOT?), and his body temp
was 95F on admission. Parents took the baby to an urgent care center, they
put him directly in the Emergency Room.
        After a night of tests, heart ultrasound, x-rays, etc. The MDs can't
find anything wrong and are telling parents the blueness is from lack of
ability to convert oxygen bc of jaundice, lack of body fat, and dehydration.
        Baby is under bili lights and on mom's milk with added formula up to
total of 60cc every two hours, by bottle first then a tube down his throat
if/when he falls asleep. After 12 hours under the lights his PO2 was up from
77% to 90%. Mom is pumping, getting 10cc every two hours after 30min
pumping. Reports pumping hurts at first then she "goes numb." While we
talked, Dad asked nurse about not using bottle/nipples anymore and she was
very amenable and said she'd ask MD for them. Mom and Dad know about SNS,
cup feeding, finger feeding, syringe, eyedropper options. Mentioned
galatogogues to mom, urging her to talk to the MD for an Rx or go the
fenugreek route.
        Mom wants baby off formula as soon as possible wants to give human
milk -- hers AND donated. While I can't officially recommend donor milk from
friends, per LLLI, I'd like to give her info on what if anything she should
do to it -- like specific, heat it to what degree for how long instructions.
I've emailed HMBANA, but other replies are welcomed!!

        My personal questions here are what the *bleep* did I miss? I swear
that aside from maybe his tongue not coming all the way over his bottom gum,
this kid had a beautiful latch, once he would, and a good suck on my finger
and I heard swallowing -- mulitple times during feeds -- could it really be
that mom had sooooooo little colostrum/milk (they are barely five days PP
for heaven's sake!) that this wasn't what it looked like? OR and this is
what my heart is saying, there is some bigger health issue that hasn't been
found yet that is zapping this kid's energy to make him loose so much so
quickly??? 22 ounces in 4.5 days of newborn living -- isn't that really
odd??? Something tells me there is more going on here than "jaundice and
dehydration" for this kid to go down hill so fast...?????

Thanks in advance to all who care out there!
Anne E. Robb, MAT, LLLL
Off on a Tangent, Oregon, USA
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