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Both my babies had prolonged jaundice and as a mother it really breaks my heart to see my babies get pricked everytime during the blood test and find out their jaundice levels are still high.
If you are exclusively breastfeeding your jaundiced baby, here are some tips :
1. Feed frequently, ideally every 2 hourly. Wake baby up to feed. Jaundiced babies tend to be very sleepy.
2. Avoid consuming alcohol, ginger and herbs in the meantime. Although not proven, these might get into the breastmilk and affect the baby's jaundice.
3. For prolonged jaundice cases, your doctor might recommend you to get your baby further tested in the hospital to see if the jaundice is caused by more serious issues eg UTI, liver problems etc. My second baby has a clean test result so the doctor said it might be due to breastmilk jaundice, since she is gaining weight well. For breastmilk jaundice, just continue to breastfeed. The jaundice will reduce and disappear eventually. Breastfeeding jaundice however is different as it means the baby is not getting sufficient breastmilk. Please get the advice of a lactation consultant for this problem.
Hope these tips are helpful. Happy breastfeeding!