Once we were settling in to the idea that we were actually parents, we had a few more obstacles to overcome. Shortly thereafter the nurses came in and told us that Carson's blood tests came back and all was normal except for the jaundice test. He had a mild case of jaundice and they wanted to take him overnight to put him under the lights. The lights help break up bilirubin which causes jaundice. Jaundice is caused by a substance in the intestines that doesn't get properly broken down by the liver and is helped by phototherapy and lots of eating to flush out the system. Needless to say we were a little anxious about him being away from us overnight, but it ended up being a blessing as we did sleep better for that one night.
The jaundice test the next day came back more normal and the pediatrician didn't think it was too much of a concern and were sending him back to our room. They were still having him wear what was called a biliblanket which is a less aggressive form of photo therapy. Basically, it is a light in the form of a small flat pad that goes under the clothes. For the whole next day, Carson glowed! He looked like a little alien with blue light illuminating his little bassinet. Within 24 hours, it was removed and Carson was given a clean bill of health! Hooray - no more Glow Baby.
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