In spite of being cleared of jaundice on check-out day at TMC, she went from rosy to slightly yellow on Day 4. She gradually became more and more yellow and by Day 5 was looking much like a member of The Simpsons family. Even the morning sunbathes did little good. We hurriedly took her to Dr Vella who sent us straight to a Diagnostics lab for a blood test.
Here're some facts about jaundice, as explained to me like An Idiot's Guide by Dr Vella:
1) Bilirubin level should stay below 12. Anything more than 14 requires phototherapy (i.e. hospitalisation). Sofia's test results came back as 209. Divide that by 18 and her score is a borderline 11.6.
2) Jaundice peaks between Day 5 and Day 7 after which bub's liver begins to function well enough to steer her/him clear of danger.
3) Mother/Bub blood type plays a role. I am A+, Sofia and Arissa are B+, "not too bad a combination, I would be more worried if you were an O", says Dr Vella.
4) Traditional Indonesian jamu could trigger jaundice so I need to stop all that I am taking for at least a month.
5) Breastmilk could worsen jaundice so Sofia will be mainly on formula for the next 2 days. (Urgh, I thought my engorgement days are over!)
Then of course there are differing opinions about 4) and 5). My masseuse tells me one of her patients was asked NOT to stop breastfeeding by her baby's paediatrician..
Speaking of masseuse, this one is a whole lot better than the last one I had. She's thorough and has magical fingers, her package comes with the variety of jamu (herbs) from Mustika Ratu. In fact, she's MR-certified, being fully-trained by an Indonesian ibu.
I was so impressed by the packaging!
These 2 herbs are amazing. I was never a full believer of traditional therapy but I swear by these 2 tablets for breastfeeding mums. In the early days of breastfeeding Arissa, I remember having to pump for 20mins on each breast to harvest a measly total supply of 20ml. With the help of these tablets, I managed to pump out 75ml yesterday from one, yes just ONE!, breast- I was well and truly shocked! (maybe the $700 Medela breastpump had something to do with it too! All I had was a $99 Avent manual one last time..)
The best part of the post-natal massage is the bengkung or belly wrap, artistically tied from a long piece of cotton cloth, meant to deflate that jiggly, bulging post-partum tummy. Oh how I dreaded wearing a wrap as it usually leaves me hot and itchy all day long but this one has no wiggle room and is incredibly comfortable that I wear it for most parts of the day as it keeps my posture upright and slouch-free. Goodbye backaches!!
If anyone is interested, my masseuse's name is kak Siti and her number is 96541203. The only downside is she has many customers (pre-natal, post-natal, fertility treatments, weight-loss treatments...) so appointment times may vary from day to day. Her 7-day comprehensive package starts from S$500, depending on location.