In my previous post about Drew’s first doctor’s appointment, I mentioned that we opted for the in-home photo light therapy vs. hospital stay. What we thought would be a day or so of Drew on the “tanning” bed turned into six days.
The idea was to get Drew on the bed as much as possible. The more feedings and light exposure he received, the more likely the bilirubin would be pushed out of his system and lower his level. Those six days were a little rough in terms of sleep for Keith, Pearl and I (although we expected that with a newborn), we did our best to follow the doctor’s instructions. We woke up almost every hour or two for feedings and diaper changes.
The nurse came by everyday to check on Drew’s vitals and obtain some blood. Each day he showed improvement and even got back to his birth weight plus more! By the end of the therapy, he had gained a whole pound! And our poor little guy handled the daily heel pokes like a champ – he’s one tough baby!
Here are some photos from that week. We all decided to sleep in the family room since it was more comfortable and convenient for Drew…not so much for the rest of us. 😉
Keeping Up With The Carpenters 