My jaundice baby.

Like her big sister, Clara had jaundice.

When Olivia was a few days old I was given a take home lights kit. I was told to keep her under it for a full 24 hours taking her out only to feed and change her.

Olivia hated being under them, and would just scream nonstop.

It was horrible.

So, I decided that it was doing more harm than good to have her under them so I took her out and just kept nursing and taking care of her.

Well what do you know, her levels dropped.

So with Clara I knew exactly what she needed.

Just time and a lot of mommy's milk.

Clara's first doctor's appointment was a few days after she was born. Her pediatrician was out of the office so I agreed to see another pediatrician there.

What a mistake that was.

He walked in, looked at her for seriously 2 seconds and said what week was she born at?

And I replied, "38 weeks."

And he responds, "In your dreams." She does not look like a 38 week baby she looks like a 34 week baby. And if she really is 38 weeks than she is growth retarded." (Oh and after he got a glare from me he quickly said well I mean IUGR- intrauterine growth restriction.)

OH MY GOSH.

I was SO mad. 

Just because my baby is smaller than the average baby doesn't mean she isn't just as healthy.

The nurses and doctor's in the hospital were all impressed with how strong, smart, and healthy she was for being such a tiny thing.

I could not believe how rude and disrespectful he was being.

He goes on to say that she was very yellow and that he would test her and that he would most likely want to admit her to the hospital to spend the night under the lights.

So they pricked her little heel.

And I walked out of the doctor's office ticked and in tears.

About an hour later I get a call from the doctor. He said that her jaundice levels were a 19 and that if she were a "normal" baby he would not admit her to the hospital until her levels were a 21 but since she's wasn't he would like to admit her that night.

So still extremely mad, I told him that in my eyes she was a normal healthy 38 week baby and that there was no way he could tell that she wasn't by just looking at her for 2 seconds. I told him I would not be admitting her and that I would be making an appointment that next day with her actual pediatrician and we would go from there.

Anyway to make a long story short Clara is doing perfectly fine and was able to fight off the jaundice all by herself. We did have to go in daily for weight checks and more heel pricks, but she did not need to be hospitalized. 

I definitely plan on writing up some complaints about that doctor I saw.

But nobody knows my baby like I do. It's pretty obvious now that I just have small babies.

And even though they are teeny tiny they are just as healthy as any other average/or bigger sized newborn.

One day, the sun was out (which is rare in these parts).

So we walked to the park and Clara got to lay out in the sun for a while:)

She really enjoyed herself!

Isn't she a little doll?

We can't get enough of her cuteness!