Grayson's FIrst Dr. Appointment

We took Grayson to see his new pediatrician on Tuesday. We weren't in love with our previous pediatrician, so when our midwife gave us suggestions for "home birth friendly" pediatricians, I happily looked into them. I found one that I interviewed and loved. Both boys went right to her at the interview and she is not quick to medicate- she would rather try natural remedies first which is a big deal to us. It was clear after our first appointment with her that we made the right decision! We love her!

So, here's the info on Grayson...

Birth:

Weight 10 lb, 8 oz

Height 21 3/4 in

Head Circumference 14 1/2 in

1 Week:

Weight: 10 lb 3 oz

Height: 22 in

Head Circ: 14 1/2 in

Babies lose weight the first few days- the rule in the hospital is that they don't want babies to lose more than 10% of their weight. We were weighing Grayson at home and the lowest he got was 9 lbs, 13 oz (if I remember correctly) and he quickly started gaining his weight back. Breastfed babies are typically back at their original weight by 2 weeks, which he will definitely be at! 

I asked the doctor to look for jaundice. Both Isaac and Jared had jaundice before we left the hospital and Jared's got bad enough that we had to lay him on a bilirubin bed at home. They both kept their jaundice until about 3 months because they had "breastmilk jaundice." It's not dangerous, but there is something in my milk that keeps their bodies from processing the bilirubin. One of the reasons I wanted a home birth was because of the jaundice. Hospital rooms do not have a lot of light and I knew I could keep him next to a window much easier from home. I'm happy to report that he does not have jaundice! :) I'm curious to see if he develops it, since BM jaundice typically appears sometime after the first week. So far, no signs! 

I also asked her about his eyes because they have some crustiness to them. I had been putting breastmilk in his eyes since it has antibodies in it. You can even use breastmilk to cure ear infections. Amazing isn't it?? She looked at his eyes and said that they weren't bad and to continue putting breastmilk in and wiping them with a warm washcloth. It's possible that he has blocked tear ducts (Isaac had a blocked tear duct) and wiping with a warm washcloth will help the tear ducts open. 

She examined him and said those words every mom wants to hear, "I can't find anything wrong with him! He's perfect from head to toe." 

Insert huge sigh of relief here.

While we were there he also had to have the heel prick done for the PKU test. This is a Georgia law that babies have this done. It tests for different abnormalities. They do this in the hospital when the baby is first born, but since we were at home, the pediatrician did it for us. Just let me tell you, Grayson has never cried so hard :( The good thing was, in the hospital they do it while the baby is away from you, and in this case I was able to nurse him while she pricked his heel. Of course, he stopped nursing to scream, but I was able to calm him down once she was done. 

They also did the hearing test, which is typically done in the hospital. He passed :)

We go back in a week to check on him and to see how his circumcision is doing. (That post is coming up!)