[Mama Poot]

DS#2 was born on Saturday. He goes to the doctor this coming Monday, and the ped's office does not do the PKU test. We were going to have it done, but now I'm changing my mind about it. It looks like the only place that does it here is the hospital, and I'm not comfortable taking my baby to a hospital where they could be nasty and insist on other things being done. Not to mention exposure to germs. He is healthy, beautiful, and I highly doubt there is anything wrong with him. If we don't get the test, will the ped throw a fit about it? Any experience with this would be helpful. I'm trying to avoid stressful situations.

 

[mary3mama]

No clue about PKU...one of the things I still need to research...

But I wanted to say CONGRATULATIONS on the arrival of your newest wee one!

 

[mamamilkers]

I did PKU with my first and will with my second, as well. Am I wrong, or do they need to have two tests? I thought she had one in the hospital and then she had another one with the midwives (I was transferred to the hospital in labor but I still had follow up visits with my midwives). I know FOR SURE the midwife did one, am foggy on what happpened in the hospital.

It seemed to me it was a fairly simple, though briefly invasive, test that I didn't have any good reasons to decline. You could probably nurse your child while they are taking the test to help with the discomfort-- it's a heel prick.

Good luck with your decision, and congrats on the new baby!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[alegna]

We did not do the PKU and newborn screen. Our midwife would have done them if we'd wanted them though.

-Angela

 

[chiro_kristin]

Same here - we did not do it or the newborn screen.

Btw, Congratulations!

 

[maxmama]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mamamilkers I did PKU with my first and will with my second, as well. Am I wrong, or do they need to have two tests? I thought she had one in the hospital and then she had another one with the midwives (I was transferred to the hospital in labor but I still had follow up visits with my midwives). I know FOR SURE the midwife did one, am foggy on what happpened in the hospital. It seemed to me it was a fairly simple, though briefly invasive, test that I didn't have any good reasons to decline. You could probably nurse your child while they are taking the test to help with the discomfort-- it's a heel prick. Good luck with your decision, and congrats on the new baby!!!!!!!!!!!!

Early PKUs will pick up some of the metabolic disorders if the baby has been nursing well and it's done close to or after 24 hours. Since most babies are born in the hospital, it's done there. The test 10-14 days later is more definitive, but some people don't bring their kids in to be seen then, so the hospital test is basically done "while we have you here".

Always ask for the foot to be warmed. Then hold your baby upright (works better than nursing even) and make sure the blood DRIPS onto the card. If the foot is squeezed you a) will have an unhappy baby and b) it's not as accurate. I do mine this way and most of the time the babies don't wake up.

 

[jmom713]

We did the PKU test with DS at 2 months when i brought him in for a checkup with a ped.

 

[orangebird]

I did mine somewhere around a few days to a week after birth. I can't remember exactly. My midwife did it at my house. I've never known that a doctors office wouldn't do one, they all do them here, when we send babies home from the hospital (normal babies that go home at normal times) We send the 2nd PKU card for them to take to their doctor to do the 2 week screen. And the offices usually have some spares in case you lose yours but they really want to use the 2nd card of the same test since it has a unique number ID on it for follow up purposes...

 

[boscopup]

I think it's really weird that your ped can't do it. What happens with babies born in a hospital there? Do they have to go back to the hospital 2 weeks later for the 2nd test? That's just very odd to me.

My ped will do the test at 2 weeks, as all the peds in my area do it. My midwife will do the first test.

If I were in your situation, I personally would just go to the hospital and get the test done. But that's just because I've researched the testing and have decided that it is a test I want to do. I'm refusing other newborn procedures (eye goop, Vit. K), but am doing the PKU test.

 

[lolar2]

Did you try the health department?

 

[tracylhl]

Like you, I will have to go to the hospital to have my baby receive the PKU test, but I do plan to do it. My midwife will do it if I force the issue but she truly does not like to do them and has made that clear. My ped won't do it and sends you to the hospital. Since I can do it as an outpatient and just run in, have it done, and leave, I will go that route. I plan to refuse just about everything else, but this is one that is simple and can catch a lot of problems that can become serious issues later on if not caught very very early.

 

[Nan'sMom]

Can you get a local midwife to do it at your/her home? I did pku at home with my first, but not with my second, although my lay midwife would have done it if I'd wanted. There are some very good reasons to do it, you can do a quick google search, then go with what you think is best.

Midwives tend to be less rushed, will help you set up to nurse during it (a VERY good idea for pain relief and comfort for the baby) and will warm the baby's foot and will pay attention to the best/least painful way to do it. Hospitals sometimes take the baby away onto a metal table and just do it...but obviously you'd be there to specify. I'd be nervous about all the hospital germs too, plus the attitude of some people who work in hospitals.

Congrats and good luck!

 

[UUMom]

We did choose to do PKU. . Nothing goes into the baby, but some very good info can be had from it. We are non- vaxers/homebirthers.

My midwife did it at the house a couple of days after my milk came in. I nursed all of my babies through it and the midwife used warm, wet heel compresses to make the blood flow easier. They did very well and my midwife was very experienced, so that did help me cope. Our last babe was UC, but we still did PKU because of our family history.

We got some important info we needed for one of our children.

 

[Kidzaplenty]

The local health department should be able to do one, just as your pedi SHOULD be able to do one. Other than the hospital. Your pedi should be able to send you to a lab for it as well, if he does not do it. Some pedi's don't do blood work and just send us to the lab. Not at the hospital. You pedi should know how to get this done.

On the other hand. We don't do it. And when taking baby to the pedi, I just never bring it up. And they rarely do either.

 

[DreamsInDigital]

We opted out of the PKU for DS3.

 

[sapphire_chan]

The ped's office won't even do a blood draw for you? I can understand them not having the lab facilities to do the test, but you'd think they'd be able to take the blood and send it to the hospital. Does this mean that *every* blood test (may there be none, but you never know) in the future will require a trip to the hospital?

 

[CryPixie83]

Can someone remind me what PKU test is for? Our midwife did it with dd but this time we're UC so...

 

[2+twins]

With our first 2 babies we did it & had to go to the hospital for it. With the twins we just had the mw do it in our home (soooo much nicer that way). Either way, I'd nurse/hold the baby throughout unless s/he's deep asleep (our 2nd dd was asleep in the baby bucket and we let them do it there. She barely flinched and slept through it all - that was the easiest of any of them).

 

[rad]

Our dr does them at the 1 week check up.

 

[Mama2ABCD]

i just got this done last week at the health dept for my new baby. i waited til the 8th day which was mw recommendation (gives time for proteins from bm to get through body). the wait was short and while there i got them to write a letter to prove my baby is alive for the birth certificate application.
the ped wanted to charge about a $100.00 since my baby doesn't have insurance yet. Health dept was free.