"They Call Me Mellow Yellow"

The day after we got home from the hospital we took Lane in for his first Dr. appointment with Dr. Phan. She did a weight check and he had gained a tiny bit since we left the day before. They also checked his bili levels again. He had to get a heel prick and wasn't too happy about it! They called with the results that afternoon and the level was too high to leave alone. She instructed us to do light therapy in an open light window and they would check again the next day.

Daddy and Lane at his first visit to the pediatrician. 3 days old...

This picture was taken that same afternoon. You can see the yellow tint to his skin.

Catching some rays from our back window. He sat like this for so long! Legs crossed, holding his paci.

When the results of the first test came back, his levels were still too high. Dr. Phan told us he would need to lay under the bili lights to help get his bili levels down. She said she would send a nurse to our house from Cooks Children's to bring the lights and give us instructions. The home health nurse dropped off the light system and instructed us to keep him in there with nothing but a diaper for 24 hours. He was only to come out to eat and get his diaper changed. He was allowed to wear a cap and had to wear tiny little goggles to protect his eyes. I was really emotional this night and kept crying! I was scared he was sick, or getting too cold, and I just wanted him to be ok! He didn't even mind the lights one bit! He just stretched out and slept like a champ. The lights were so bright, however, mom and dad didn't get much sleep that night!

We called him our little Ray Charles! We were so surprised that the goggles didn't bother him!

Our sweet little guy getting his tan on!

He ended up having to stay under the lights for 3 full nights/days plus one extra night of light treatment with the detachable blanket. Each day the first week we were home, a nurse would come to our house to weigh him and prick his heel! Poor thing had his heel pricked every day for the first week of his life and still has little scars on them. When the nurse would rub the alcohol wipe on his foot, he knew what was coming and I felt so bad for him! After a week, his levels began to go down, and he was able to discontinue treatment. We are glad our little baby is ok! His skin looks much, much better now! No more yellow!