This year, we gave thanks in Granna and PapPap’s home in Mobile in the traditional way: stuffing, potatoes, Randy’s famous mushroom gravy, and lots of veggies.
It may have looked like a Thanksgiving Day celebration, but for Will’s parents, this day will always be celebrated as:
Will’s First Poop Day!
Last year, on Thanksgiving Day, Will (a mere 6 days old) had the bowel movement we (and most of the pediatric staff in the UM Mott hospital) were waiting 2 days for! The bowel movement let us know that Will was safely working the excess bilirubin out of his bloodstream and was safe to go HOME*. It was a relief for us, being in the hospital seriously sucked. So, we decided that the day held extra special meaning in our lives as Will’s First Poop Day! The day we REALLY got to start being a family! So, this is our special holiday.
Happy Will’s First Poop Day!
*The basic technical details: Will was jaundice after birth, a very common problem shared by the majority of newborns. His was aggravated both by his having a poor latch (a breastfeeding issue) that meant he wasn’t getting a whole lot to eat just yet. Another issue was that the two of us had different RH blood factors. I am RH negative (my blood type is AB-, which means my blood does not have that particular protein). Paul’s blood is RH positive. Which means that Will and I had a blood incompatibility issue: I had injections during pregnancy to keep my body from developing antibodies and all was fine on that end. However, after birth, it was up to Will’s little liver to process all the blood in his tiny body — a big task! The build up of the excess bilirubin is what caused the jaundice. His output (poop) was our signal that his body was working to process everything normally.
Post a Comment