Cora is doing great. She has been unhooked from everything except the monitors. Today we learned her bilirubin was a little high so they were putting her on a light blanket (not sure what the official term is for that).
Even though we knew she was going to be on the blanket we were still a little surprised when we went back to the NICU and saw this…
My husband and couldn’t help but laugh a little at the lights and the eye cover. We thought our Star Wars loving boys would just be thrilled to know that the doctors were using “the force” to fix her bilirubin.
During our visit with Cora I was able to feed her a bottle. The last time we tried to feed her she just wouldn’t eat, we would do everything to wake her up and she would just fall right back to sleep. This afternoon she drank about half her bottle so that was great.
While we were there I started to feel a little funny and then got lightheaded. My husband wheeled me back to my room and I am now stuck in bed. My blood levels are low (not sure how to spell them but they start with an H) and my blood pressure is low. I will be staying another night so they can check my levels again, if they don’t start coming up I will need a blood transfusion. Tonight I was told to stay in bed and eat some red meat. I am petrified of the hospital meat, so my husband is bringing something from the outside. I did choke down half a bowl of hospital spinach, but that was all I could handle.
At first I was upset about having to stay, but then I realized I will get another day in the hospital with Cora, yeah! There is a possibility that she may come home tomorrow, so it would be awesome if we could come home together! Hopefully she won’t be discharged before me!
More updates to come…
I would be suprised if they send her home w/out you……….
Oh please don’t ever lose those pictures. If you never do another scrapbook page in your life, you MUST do a “Force” page!
Tell those hospital people to get on it and whip you up a green smoothie if you need some spinach. The cooked stuff? GAG
Oh I am totally praying you both get to come home tomorrow. God Bless!
Bili-blankets are strange strange things, lol. It’s so cute that the babies have to wear blinders…though a good idea because that’s way to bright to stare at.
When I was working at a hospital, I came to the conclusion that those blankets were just magic. But apparently the light really does break down the bilirubin until her body develops enough to do it. They worked time and time again, but they still confuse me.
May the force be with you both! Haha. Let’s just hope she’s a Star Wars fan when she grows up. Then she’d just love these pictures!
I certainly hope you won’t need the blood transfusion. I’ll keep praying both of you will be discharged together.
The blanket is a hoot. I’ve never seen that either. Praise God that she is doing much better already. We’re praying for you to have normal blood levels & blood pressure soon!
Glad to hear she is doing so well. Sorry to hear about your levels. Praying they will come up.
One if my daughters had to use a bilibed. It looked like a briefcase.
It’s the Star Wars? I was thinking she looked like she was having her first round on a tanning bed!
Get some rest while you can!
All I have to say is- may the force be with you-
I love the pictures and so glad to hear she is doing so well. Hope you’re doing better by tomorrow also.
That’s awesome that she’s doing so well! I hope you start feeling better soon and that you both get to go home tomorrow.
Aww, I hope you get to feeling better & you both get to go home tomorrow!
What cool photos! I agree with Amy…they would make a great scrapbook page called “The Force”. I will say a prayer that you can Cora can go home tomorrow together!
May the Force be with you! Love those pictures! You need to stay in the hospital as long as it takes to be better. Once you get home, you just won’t rest as much as you should. Take care of yourself…and your baby and have faith that your mom and your husband can handle the rest for a little while!
I’m so glad everything is ok with you and Cora! Congratulations!
http://peekabookidsgear.com/wordpress/2009/04/04/attitude-of-gratitude-award/
I nominated you…I hope you’ll accept!
Jennica
Our youngest had to have a bili-blanket, we even had one that we brought home with us when he was discharged. They are rather comical!
Praying that you can Cora can both come home soon!
One thing you might want to consider taking is floradix – a natural herbal iron supplement. I took it after losing a lot of blood and it really helped. No constipation either
.
Tuna lots of Tuna. When I had my blood transfusion I ate tuna, turkey and liver sausage like it was going out of style. Lots of Iron!
You and Cora continue to be in my thoughts and prayers. I hope that you get to come home tomorrow together! God bless!
Hugs,
Katherine
The force is too cute. All three of my children had jaundice and were under the bili lights except they were in little “tanning beds” instead of just a blanket.
As are all of your readers, I’m sure: I’ve been thinking about you and so glad for the updates! I’m so glad Cora is doing well. Such a scary situation. All will be well, I pray!
Awww! She’s glowing like a light saber! What a cutie.
I’ve been following your story. Just haven’t had time to comment. Praying you’ll go home at the same time.
Soooo jealous. My kids were both jaundice & all they told me to do was put them in the bassinet nude & put them in sunlight. Then I had to take them to the hospital daily for 5 days. I hated having to take my tired nursing body & get a newborn dressed & drive to town & wait in line. So girl…take the extra day & rest.
Don’t let her under estimate the power of the dark side. May the force be with you two always. Praying you two will get to your home planet.
My baby had to get two rounds of the bili blanket, and the bili box! The box was amazing… he looked like he was sleeping in the COOLEST AQUARIUM EVER!!! The best cures for high bili levels are the lights and to poop, so the more she eats the better!!
be prepared for lots of baby heel pricking though!! I hope you both have very speedy recoveries!! 
:)
“My blood levels are low (not sure how to spell them but they start with an H) and my blood pressure is low.”
Were they Hemoglobin & Hematocrit? I was anemic during my pregnancy, so they were always extremely low for me.
Anyway! Praying for the continued healing and recovery for both you and baby Cora (beautiful name, btw!!) Blessings!
Dear Tony,
do take a iron supplement if they give you one to take.
I started reading your blog because I was interested in frugal lifestyle.
My name is Marina, I’m Irish but live in Italy. Oh! and I am a doctor.
Bilirubin finds the natural cure in sunlight. The biliblanket is a UV blanket. Technological sun. The blinds are to prevent her tiny and delicate eyes to get sunburn.
Your Cora looks lovely and she will be fine. Just try keeping her exposed to sunlight, but as the weather is improving this will be a pleasure.
You: Although I have read enough of you to know your habits
Iron in veggies is a lot, but it doesn’t enter your sistem easily. Your best option, besides read meat, is liver, if you want it the natural way.
You and your former long-haired hippie are so lucky. Rest and take things easy.
Hilarious photo! My son got the overhead lights–not nearly so cool for the memory books, though he did get the same goggles. So happy she’s off the CPap. NICU is often a bumpy roller coaster ride so don’t be discouraged if she needs nasal canula or even the whole cpap thing again. I’m hoping the outside red meat does the trick for you so you can avoid the transfusion and feel good again. Sounds like you are doing worse than your little Jedi. Hoping you both get to come home healthy and together!
I developed pre-eclampsia with my first child when I was 36 weeks gestation, so he was delivered prematurely. The OB said that little white boys tend to do the poorest when born prematurely, but because he had been in a stressful environment due to the pre-eclampsia, he did extremely well after birth. He was just 4lbs 15oz, a tiny little thing! He did get released from the hospital before me, but was able to stay with me in my room until I was released, thankfully.
Oh my. That is too cute. It looks like she’s in her very first tanning bed.
So glad you are in a place where they are taking such good care of you.
Rest well!
That blanket is awesome! I’ve only seen the overhead lights – not nearly as cool! Glad she’s doing well – NICU is a tough place to deal with!
All three of our biological girls had to have light therapy. The first at home and the second two in the hospital. I thank God that it is so easily treated! I am especially praying for you too! Looking forward to seeing going home pics! Get plenty of rest!
In Him, Eva
Congratulation on your new baby! I am praying for you both. Rest as much as you can and let others take over for a little while. I hope you are both able to go home together soon.
How funny is that??? I’m so glad that she is doing so well. I hope that the extra day really heps you to recover.
After the birth of our son I lost quite a bit of blood. I was near needing a transfusion, but declined. My midwife recommended extra iron and a chlorophyll supplement. Chlorophyll helped tremendously, but due to such a great blood loss it took nearly three months to recover. I would highly recommend the chlorophyll. You can find it at most pharmacies.
Thanks Tiph! Yes, you are correct it is Hemoglobin & Hematocrit. I thought that was what they were called but didn’t want to botch the spelling!
Thanks for all your tips on the iron and other supplements. I started on iron and will look into the other ideas. I want to start feeling better soon!
DeAna- We were hoping that because Cora was in a high stress environment before she was born that we could avoid the NICU at 36 wks, but her lungs were not quite ready. She is making a speedy recovery though and for that we are so thankful!
Toni
Glad she is doing well and eating! Praying for you so that you don’t have to have a transfusion.
Your hemoglobin must be low (iron levels). I had to start taking iron supplements when I was diagnosed a month ago with anemia. You will feel so much better when those levels get higher. You’ll need that energy when you take Cora home. (You certainly know that!) Praying you two get to go home together. Put her in front of a window with her eyes covered and let the sunlight work it’s magic on her.
I am the QUEEN of issues with iron and blood levels. Eat lots of leafy greens, red meats, and iron pills (but take a softener, which they should’ve given you after delivery anyway). Be careful as you might be extra sensitive right now, too, and bruise super-easily.
Those lights are cute, we never had to use them, sunlight was our prescription, as my 9-year-old was jaundiced. What did the boys think when they saw the pictures of their sister in those lights?
The force! That is so cool! I wanted to stay in the hospital as long as I could with my first. But, they still kicked me out after two days and I had to go back and visit him every day for the next 4 until he could come home.
I hope that you both get to go home together. The hardest thing that I have ever done in my life was leave the hospital and leave our little girl there. I cried the whole way home.
Know that you are both in our prayers!
My son had a bit of jauntice when he was born and they put him “under the lights” but that was 32 years ago and I don’t think they had biliblankets back then. I, too, was very anemic and kept fighting the blood transfusion, but once I caved in and received the blood transfusion, I was 100% better right away. See, the problem with eating red meats, spinach, etc., is that when you’re anemic, you don’t feel like eating. If they offer you a blood transfusion, take it. You’ll recover faster and feel better. Also, make sure they are giving you iron supplements. When my first granddaughter was born, she came home in a biliblanket set-up, no problems at all, she only used it for like a week. You and Cora will be fine. Blood testing has come a long way, so I would not worry about “tainted” blood. Why suffer any longer than necessary? My prayers and best wishes for you and baby:)
maggie@mannwieler.com
I will NEVER forget the feeling of leaving my son in the NICU, under the lights, and going back to my room alone. So alone and empty I felt. Glad to see she is home with you now!