When Esther was born, we had thus far only dealt with my doctor - Dr. Gnam. We liked that experience, mostly because we knew our dr. After she was born, she was seen by St. Dominic's pediatrician...who we did NOT know. He did an excellent job, but we were unprepared for him to say anything less than our baby girl was absolutely perfect.
His first report was that her bilirubin was slightly elevated and they wanted to watch it. Apparently, Esther and I have opposite blood types, which means an elevated bilirubin could possibly mean more than jaundice. This meant the lab would need to prick our new baby's little foot more than normal, which was tough enough for me to deal with (Lee was a champ).
On his second visit, the pediatrician told us he felt her hip pop, which could mean hip dysplasia. He then preceded to "show" us what he meant, which entailed his moving Esther's tiny legs in and out - a practice that looked painful, but apparently didn't bother her as much as it did me. He referred us to a pediatric orthopedic doctor at UMC and scheduled us for two weeks' out.
We stayed an extra day because Esther's bilirubin did not go down, but escalated enough to take precaution. We were released the next day (Saturday, July 28th), but told to come back Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday to the lab for follow-up checks. Her weight had also dropped, so we were told to supplement nursing with formula. On Wednesday, after way too many foot pricks, a night on a bilirubin light, and several trips back to the lab, Esther was released.
Our regular 2-week visit to our pediatrician, Dr. Russell, gave us some relief in the world of pediatricians. His manner is so pleasant, you forget he's responsible for those horrible shots and getting your infant cold just to take her measurements. I still felt like rewarding Esther (and myself) for an overall pleasant visit...so we went to Starbucks.
Her visit to the pediatric orthapedic doc went well also. Robin was sweet enought to go with me. The dr did the same exercises and deemed her "hip dyspla free."We had another follow up visit...the day hurricane Isaac hit. We went anyway just to hear him say the same thing and schedule a final visit in January. I'm still trying to decide if braving a hurricane was worth it.
Our 6 week pediatric appointment went without a hitch. Lee's mom, "Gigi" went with me to brave her first shots. Everyone came out ok. Esther didn't cry much, just long enough to let us know she felt it.
That sums up her medical history. We are so thankful for good doctors and supportive friends and family. Our little girl is healthy and happy...and growing!!
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