I gave birth to my son on the 26th. In utero, he had a enlarged left kidney that the specialists were keeping an eye on. When he was born they gave his kidney and ultrasound, but I haven't received those test results yet. He has his first pediatrician's visit tomorrow morning, but ever since we left the hospital he's been only having 1 wet diaper a day (but has 3-4 poops a day, right on schedule). Most newborns are supposed to have 6-8 wet diapers a day? Has anyone ever experienced this or know what this is?
We went to the pediatrician today, and his kidney ultrasound results were that his kidney was still slightly enlarged but it hasn't gotten worse. They said they'll keep an eye on it. I told the doc about the lack of wet diapers, and he said (obviously) that it wasn't normal. My milk just came in fully last night, and I've been keeping up the demand with a pump. He's been feeding every 3 hours for about 20-30 mins. His poopy diapers are still normal, and his wet diapers are up to about 6. It is possible that I haven't noticed the wet in his diapers since we use disposable? i use Pampers Swaddlers and it's hard to tell.
Annette - I'm so sorry to hear about your son. That's scary! I have another appointment on Monday, and I'll bring this up with him. All the best to you and your son :)
GO TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM NOW. NOT NORMAL AND VERY SERIOUS! Babies that young get very sick very quickly...don't wait til tomorrow--- GO NOW!
GOOD LUCK,
Molly
Just in case . . . .
even though the previous responders suggested serious urgency.
You already said you'll be seeing the pediatrician in the morning.
AND . . . the new-fangled diapers are SO ABSORBENT,
is it possible that there HAS been SOME urine
but you didn't observe/feel/smell it because
it was so slight and the diaper sopped it up?
If you haven't already gone to the ER,
try skipping the diaper for a couple of hours and see what happens.
Try a little cotton terry washcloth or hand towel instead.
Good luck.
Has your milk come in yet? If not, that might we why there aren't more wet diapers. Just mention it to the pediatrician when you go today...
Posterior Urethral Valves.
CALL the doctor now and get those results. An enlarged kidney and lack of UO (urine output) are indicators of PUV's. This can be very serious. My son had them (surgically removed after diagnosis) and he almost died. He needs a kidney transplant (both kidneys are affected).
Did they run blood tests for kidney function? What was his creatinine? His BUN? What did the hospital say about the enlarged kidney? CALL THE DOCTOR and tell them what is going on. They may say go to the ER. Are you near a children's hospital? If so go there, my pediatrician only had the vaguest idea of what PUV's were. Listen, it may not be important but it is clearly worrying you so CALL YOUR DOCTOR.
PUV's are a blockage below the bladder that inhibits the outflow of the urine from the bladder. The urine backs up into the kidneys, causing hydronephrosis (fluid in the kidney). Fluid in the kidney permanently damages the kidney. My son's PUV's weren't diagnosed until he was 21 months old, a very late dx even though I kept asking about his lack of UO, and he was in renal failure at diagnosis. Because it went on so long, his kidneys were destroyed. He now only has minimal kidney function and is under constant medical care. He is four. He will need his transplant soon.
Best of luck to you but please CALL YOUR DOCTOR and talk to them about your concerns.
Have you tried newborn Pampers Swaddlers? The ones I used last December when my second baby was born have a yellow stripe up the front that turns blue when the baby urinates. With newborns and the very absorbant diapers available these days, it can be hard to tell if they actually have a wet diapers. The indicator stripe on the Swaddlers makes it very easy to tell.
I agree with Molly...I hope you've already left for the ER. Let us know how it turns out! Good luck!
What I was told by my doc, and have read or heard everywhere else, is one diaper, regardlesss of content, per day of life for the week. After the first week it is 6-8 diapers per day, again regardless of content.
If a newborn is pooping, it may be had to accurately judge if they are also having wet diapers at the same time... It still would not be enough, so bare minimum - call the doc asap and tell them.
I'm also with Molly - get your son to the ER NOW!
Wow... everyone is saying run out to the ER and personally, I found it hard to tell if my kids had even really wet a diaper in a short amount of time considering the absorbency of diapers these days (I use cloth, too, but disposables for the first couple of weeks). Does he have poops? In that case, it may be hard to tell if he has also wet. I vaguely remember the stress doctors put on this in the first few days and I think I was even stressed, checking for wetness... until I had a home visit and my son practically peed on the visiting nurse. Maybe call your doctor if not wet in the morning??
You can always put a small paper towel in the front part of the diaper to test if he is really peeing or not - it will be very wet if he does. Good luck!
I hope you are running to the ER!! Also I would suggest to start using cloth diapers since you can keep track of how much pee is really coming out. I know it's not for everyone, but if you would like any info on it personal message me. I would most defiantly start using cloth.
