BREAK ALL THE RULES!

My baby girl Aiko was born at 38 weeks 3 days. The second day they said she had jaundice and had to be put under the light. They also said I was only allowed to take her out for 30 mins every 3 hours for feedings and changes. We are admitted for 4 nights because of my c Section. My husband spends the nights with me.

Even though she was a good latcher and I had good supply, 30 mins is hardly enough time to get in a good feeding. We were both still learning. sometimes she would latch on right away, other times it would take 15/ 20 mins to latch so I would only get to feed her for 15/ 10 mins before she had to go back to the cot.

When I put her back she would be cranky and hard to sooth. When I did nurse again she wouldn't latch at all and just fall asleep. My poor baby was too hungry to sleep, and too sleepy to eat. It was so hard to not be able to comfort her when I was right there with full breasts. One day when I couldn't calm her down, I caved and gave her a pacifier. After that she didn't latchbon anymore, if she did only for a few sucks. The best I could do was express through a syringe and feed her that way. My sweet baby wasn't getting enough and it broke my heart. I knew she was hungry. The 30 mins I was allowed to take her out became a stressful, negative experience because I felt too much pressure to nurse in such a small window.

Then they told me her weight was down 10%. And she needed to eat more. Which btw, my husband double checked their math, she was only down 7.3%. They were wrong.

They offered her formula. I said no. Nothing against formula but I had a full set of milky breasts and there was no reason not to use it.

So I had enough. One day I asked the nurses, what was stopping me from actually nursing her under the light? They looked at each other..... "well no ones ever done that before". But why can't I?? "It may not be good for you. "Then why am I putting my infant underbit if it's not good for me?" She has the eye cover. "I've got glasses" they asked the head nurse, the head nurse couldn't think of a reason why not either.

So I did it. My way. We made sure the levels were the same. Sonfor two days I've been sitting under the blue light with my daughter. She's laying on two pillows and a bili blanket on my lap. I move her a little bit when she wants to nurse. I have her diapers right next to me, my phone, the call button, everything I need. I sit with my top off so I have constant skin to skin with her and my boobs are right there. One of the pics show me hooked up to a breast pump that I use when she not nursing or on the boob that she is t using.

My husband takes over too. He doesn't have the milk but it's nice that he's getting hours of skin to skin with her at a time. She even latches on to his nipples for comfort nursing. But she didnt do that much because quickly she found out there was no milk and got mad. It's like getting a fancy gift box with no toy. I can express for him to feed her or if he goes through that he justs pops her on my chest while I'm sleeping and pulls her off when she's done.

The downside is Whoever sits with her has to stay awake and sitting up. But with they way things were goin before. Someone had to be awake next to her at all times reaching into her cot and soothing her or fixing the eye patch she keeps pulling off

Finally all her needs are met. She's u set the light a lot more then she would be in the cot. She's getting fed as much as she needs to whenever she wants to. We don't feel deprived of contact with her because she's always in our lap and our hands are always on her.

She's now a happy baby and not stressed anymore.

All the Drs and nurses in the hospital came by to see this. Apparently no one here had ever done this. They are now suggesting it to other parents who struggle with puttin their kids in cots under the light with limited contact. They call it the Aiko method.