Jaundice and Breastfeeding 

I’m so glad that you’re finding support. That’s so important! Lip/tongue ties are often missed early on because it’s really hard to tell on a newborn. If baby needs to have them released, it’s often better right away ❤️

That’s what I did with my oldest too. She’s 30 years old now. Many doctors now don’t recommend it because of the risks of sunburn but it’s still a very helpful practice when mom doesn’t have access to Bilirubin lights. Im glad your baby is doing well now ❤️

Baby’s Bilirubin numbers should be increasing with age. 1 day old up to 15, 2 days old up to 18, 3 days old 20. It is very normal for the numbers to increase, but they do need to stay at a certain level. As baby is older, their Bilirubin numbers are higher, but baby’s body should be functioning normal with those higher numbers. I’m not sure if there was something else going on, if your doctor felt like baby should be hospitalized then by all means that was probably the best choice. I never want to work against your doctor, but instead work with them. Tell your doctor that you would like to get to Exclusively breast-feeding if possible. Many doctors don’t understand breast-feeding so if you feel like that’s the case, please find a local lactation counselor that can help you out. It is hard to wake a newborn baby up, and if baby is jaundice, they are even harder to wake up. It is totally fine to be an exclusive pumper❤️ Breast-fed babies do poop, smaller amounts, and less than formula fed babies. This is because their body utilizes the milk more completely. Baby should be pooping regularly in the first month. They should be pooping every day and usually a few times a day. If the poop is just a size of a quarter, that is totally fine for a breast-fed baby. After one month old, some exclusively breast-fed babies slow way down pooping. Some breast-fed babies can skip up to 14 days without pooping. You’ll know that babies not constipated if they seem healthy and happy and their stomach isn’t extended. If a baby was becoming constipated, their poop would be firm and hard like little pellets. But normally, if baby is exclusively, breast-fed, they will have a large soft blowout when they do poop again. New breast-fed babies poop should be changing color in the first week. It will go from black to green to brownish and then to mustard yellow. That’s how you know that the bilirubin is getting better. Occasional green diapers are just fine for breast-feed babies. All babies should have six or more wet diapers every 24 hours from the time they are six days old and older. If baby is receiving formula at all, they need to be pooping every single day . How old is baby now?

@@marycahillclc thank you for taking the time to respond. Baby turned 1 month old a few days ago. It’s reassuring to know that when I was exclusively breastfeeding that baby pee and poo was a normal amount and color. Made me worried when I started exclusively formula feeding. I was starting to think there was something wrong with my breast milk that made my baby get jaundice. Since birth his eyes and skin were yellow. Other than that he was still peeing and pooping enough. Still acted like a “normal” newborn. The only time I actually had to wake him up for feeds was when I first brought him home. The other times he would wake up and cry to let me know he was hungry. The doctors did tell me that there is a certain level and a certain age that they’d admit the baby so that he’d undergo bili lights. At my local hospital the er doctor said their threshold was 20. So he was admitted the first two times at 20 and 25. The third time we were advised to go to a children’s hospital 1-2 hours away but we were sent home because their threshold was 22 (at the time bili was 20). It’s frustrating because just when I felt like baby and I were starting to get the hang of breastfeeding we were instructed to formula feed. My milk supply has gone down. I’m not even sure if I still want to breastfeed because of how exhausting getting him to latch was. I’ve watched some TikTok videos of other women sharing tips on how to increase supply. One person mentioned how drinking a certain beer brand has helped increase their supply. Because of the wheat. I thought that breastfeeding women should avoid drinking alcohol? Doesn’t alcohol go into the breast milk. Is that still true?

@@SS-cq6wc There should be no shame in choosing to formula feed. You’ve been through something scary and traumatic. It’s hard when baby had to be hospitalized. As far as TikTok videos, to learn how to increase supply, it’s mostly very wrong information. Moms that have a forceful letdown/over supply can easily increase their milk supply in 12 to 24 hours. “Normal moms” take 3 to 5 days to START to see an increase in milk supply when they start doing the things that actually make breastmilk. There are 3 keys to making more breastmilk. Making more milk but having baby latched on the breast for as long and as often as possible is the best and the easiest way to increase supply, but when that can happen, the next best thing is pumping. It’s important to add lots of breast massage before enduring the pumping session. Then pump on a regular basis. Your body will make more milk by how much is taken out along with stimulation of your breasts.. -Move milk -Move milk often and -Stimulation/massage. Anytime something goes into baby, something should be coming out of you. As far as the alcohol, beer, just not increase milk supply, but it can help to have a letdown sooner. It’s the Barley in the beer that helps. But again it’s not increasing supply, but increasing the speed of what you have your letdown . You can drink a beer or you can simply add barley into your foods. If mom chooses to drink alcohol, she can drink, but there are some guidelines that I follow. You will meet some moms who follow other searcher guidelines that say you don’t need to take any precautions. My concern is over damage to babies liver. Any damage that takes place probably won’t show up until they are an older adult. Here is my guidelines that I teach from great researchers on the subject. Forever, alcohol drink, you should wait two hours before you pump or breast-feed. The alcohol in your blood and milk are highest at one hour after you finish that drink. Then the alcohol starts to dissipate. Waiting another hour let you have time for it to dissipate. Anytime you feel woozy then there is alcohol in your blood and milk. The argument here is that it’s a very small amount that goes into your breastmilk. This is true, but like I said, we don’t know the long-term effects. I would also hold off on alcohol until baby is Around three months old. If baby is a preemie or has health concerns, I would wait a little longer. You may hear on the Internet that you need to pump and dump. This is not at all necessary unless you are feeling engorged or it has been longer than normal between your pumping or nursing sessions. Doing this will keep your supply up and help you to avoid clogged ducks. You can pump and dump that or you can freeze it and mark it and to be used for milk baths. I hope that helps. Here’s a video that should help you out a bit if you would like to continue pumping . ❤️ Pumping Moms With Low Milk Supply ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-_of4OTnOubc.html

It’s normal for the bilirubin numbers to get higher as baby ages but there are safe levels that we watch for at different ages. Is baby’s skin yellowish? Are baby’s eyes yellow? Is baby still difficult to keep awake during a feeding? Do you have a lactation counselor near by to meet with in person? They can help to determine a “normal” range for 6 weeks old. I’m not a doctor so be sure to stay in touch with your doctor.

I’m so sorry mommy 😞. Is baby’s skin or eyes looking yellow? Did your doctor try to tell you that breastfeeding caused it? Breastfeeding doesn’t cause it. 🥰 Is there a lactation counselor near by that you can see? Hopefully she could confirm if formula is necessary. I wouldn’t want you to go against your doctor but you could get a 2nd opinion. For now, keep your pumping up but also add lots of breast massage with each pumping. That will add the stimulation part to keep supply up. A month of breastfeeding has gotten your breastfeeding well established. Most babies will come back to the best easily. Hang in there mommy! ❤️

Hi mommy! Breastfed babies should have yellow poop most of the time so that’s good. 6 or more wet diapers let’s you know she’s getting enough. If the diaper is heavy with pee, that can count as 2. How old is she now?

@@marycahillclc 2 weeks 2 days please

That number is great! As baby gets a few days older, they can handle those numbers❤️

Your blood type won’t have an affect on baby at all. It’s totally safe to breastfeed with different blood types. ❤️

This is a bit long to still be jaundice. Breastfed babies are slower to reduce the bilirubin but it’s usually cleared by about 3 weeks. Is baby having 6 or more heavy wet diapers every day? It would probably be a good idea in your case to formula feed. Ask your doctor to check baby’s levels often. I would pump as often as baby eats or even slightly more often to keep supply up. As soon as baby’s numbers look better, ask if you can return to breast right away. You’re doing great mommy! There are times when formula is helpful.❤️

I’m so sorry mommy 🙁. I have so many questions for you but what is your biggest concern right now? Do you have a pump? Is there a local lactation counselor that you can see?

@@marycahillclc Thank you for the quick response! I'm just stressed about preparing his bottle. How warm does the water have to be? How many oz do I feed him? I do have a pump. The closest lactation consultant is not so close, but I can call her. I forgot to mention that a month ago his bilirubin was at 8, so it slightly increased.

@@AnLuRivers if you’re not sure that your tap water is very safe, you should boil it before mixing but if your water is safe, that’s not necessary. You can feed formula or breastmilk cold or warmed. Most babies don’t mind it cold. To warm it, put the bottle in a cup of warm water. Never microwave it. You can usually let baby tell you when they’re hungry or full but you may want to offer a bottle more often when you’re trying to lower bilirubin levels. I found this video for you. I hope it helps ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-DenB2hZW1C4.html

To keep your supply up, you should be pumping as often as baby eats. You should follow your doctor’s advice but you could ask if you can nurse baby but give a formula bottle after the feeding. Half of all babies have High Bilirubin levels in the first couple of weeks but it’s usually better by 1 month. Has baby been having lots of wet diapers when just breastfeeding?

@@marycahillclc yes, lots of wet and poop diapers. He's gaining weight too. At today's 1 month check up he weighed 10 lbs 6 oz. He weighed 8 lbs 6 oz at birth.

That’s usually caused by jaundice. You should have him checked by your doctor. It’s usually not serious but if it goes on for long, it can be. Is he having at least 6 or more wet diapers every 24 hours? If not, you’ll need to get him to nurse more or even pump and give him more in a bottle. The more he can eat, the sooner that it can get flushed from his system. Jaundice babies usually have a hard time staying awake to nurse, so you may have to wake him more by taking his clothes off or even wiping his feet with a cool wet cloth. 🥰

I know that this can be scary. Be sure to tell your doctor that you’re concerned. It can sometimes take quite some time for baby’s bilirubin to be at a better level. If it’s too high, your doctor would probably have baby placed under bilirubin lights at the hospital. Are you breastfeeding or formula feeding baby?

@@marycahillclc dear sister breastfeeding... today i look on his eyes... they r little yellow...how i came to know jaundice expires

@@shadwani7180 We all have Bilirubin in our blood. As baby’s eyes look less and less yellow, you will know that the level is getting to a proper amount. ❤️

Some babies can take a few weeks to clear up but you should definitely talk to your doctor to be sure that baby is improving. Are you breastfeeding? How many wet diapers is baby having every 24 hours?

I’m sorry mommy. I know it can be scary. Breastmilk jaundice isn’t caused by the breastmilk but tends to show up after 1 to 2 weeks old. It can last 8 to 12 weeks. It’s good to monitor it with your doctor but it is slow to go away. Breastfeeding regularly is the best way to get rid of it but again it’s very normal for it to be slow to go down. When testing Bilirubin, the number will naturally increase but the older you are, the less that a high number is a problem. Is baby having 6 or more wet diapers every 24 hours? Are you able to keep baby awake for most feedings?

Hi thanks for the reply yes she is having 6 some time 7 to 8 wet dippers a day..she gain 3 pounds and feeding more than 12 times a day because she suck breast for 5 mintues some times 12 and the most was 25 mintues

@@sarahlee8613 some babies nurse for a short amount of time before they’re great at transferring milk. As long as you always see 6 or more wet diapers, you know she’s getting enough. ❤️. Is that help you you to feel a little more confident?

@@marycahillclc yes but am still scared about this breast milk jaundice she got..i hope it does not get hight