Oona's Second Album: PAGES 15-16

This is back to the hospital for us.

The pedia didn't let us leave after her check-up. We had to have her admitted at the Newborn Intensive Care Unit for emergency light treatment.

That blue light is what kept her alive.

Without it, she could have lost the function of vital organs and her brain function.

I thought jaundice was just a small thing. It really is normal since all babies are born with it and their liver is able to process it immediately with the help of mother's milk.

The nutrients in the milk helps push out the toxins. But sometimes, it's not nearly enough. So, for my Oona, we had to spend a few more days in the hospital fighting it down.

I almost camped out at the NICU, spending more time there than in my own room. I couldn't bear it when I had to leave her after feeding time. I would instead spend the time in the nursing room, pumping milk for her. The good thing about it though, she was a natural being fed from a cup, as the hospital wanted to avoid bottle-feeding to help the newborns get used to their nursing at their mother's breast.

I was also unable to save the piece of left-over umbilical cord that fell off. Traditionally it's kept but Oona would have to do without the gross awe of seeing a piece of her cord when she's older. If she had gotten any worse, the pedia was preparing us for the eventuality of a blood transfusion. The only way to do that with a vein large enough was through her navel. I shudder to think how. So they kept her navel prepped and damp so the navel wound would be tender enough for the procedure. So naturally, the cord fell off and was thrown out.

Poor RF had to go back to work since his paternity leave was only a few days. He came straight from the office everyday, to crash on the hospital couch in my room. I was still being monitored for my blood pressure and the nurses had to tell me in no uncertain terms that camping out at the nursery was courting a relapse or binat.

Thankfully, the jaundice went down far enough for the pedia to be sure that it would continue going down after she's taken off from the blue light and we didn't have to go for the blood transfusion. Seeing her in the NICU with the clinical paraphernalia surrounding her with a dextrose, I don't think I could stand seeing her suffer anymore. She was just too tiny!

We were finally allowed to go home with out little tomato girl. Although her face was still puffy from the dextrose and the medication, her redness had lessened and we were told that the yellow would disappear.

We were just glad to have her out of danger, that even if she were marked with yellow eyes all her life, I wouldn't have minded at all.