Post Partum...No not post partum depression Lexie! =)

Ok, Natalie arrived all of 5lbs13 oz of pure joy! I was doing good. My arms felt very shakey and it was weird to hold her. I preferred Marcos holding her for me and I looking at her. They were about to coach me on breastfeeding aka nursing when I got really weak. I remember feeling like I was literally going to go to sleep that moment. I told the nurse, "I'm going to sleep" She said, "I'm sure you feel like that you just gave birth" it was at that moment my secret angel spoke up.

The day before my best friend from childhood called to ask if I had wanted her mother, Jennifer, to be there for the delivery. She was there for my sister and I remember her being such a great coach. She has known me since I was little. I told her I would love for her to come if she was available. On the day of the delivery I called her and she was driving from the Coast all the way to make it on time. Well, she arrived right when I pushing so she wasn't really able to help - that is what I thought atleast. I felt bad that she had driven all the way down only not able to be in the delivery. Remember, my delivery went VERY fast.

So, the angel, Jennifer, spoke and said look her blood pressure is dropping and then Jennifer, who doesn't work at the hospital immediately pulled back the sheets and well that is when they realized there was a problem. She ran out of the room and told all the nurses who were gathered in the hallway that I was hemmoraging and was needed ASAP. Jennifer is a labor and delivery nurse and used to work at River Oaks. Everyone ran in and started pushing on my stomach. I just remember feeling all the stuff coming out of me. But the more the pushed the more I was feeling a little better. If they hadn't caught and "let me go to sleep" I could have hemmoraged to death. I had lost all my color and my lips were as white as my skin. My Dr. arrived all shooken up ready to step in but by then it was to late, they had everything in control. It was pretty scarey.

To give you an idea of how serious it could have been, I'll ask you this question. Has your OBGYN ever shown up at your door? Well, mine did! =) Not only did she show up but she brought us chicken salad from NEWKS and iron pills. Talk about a guilty conscience and not wanting a lawsuit. My mom was pretty upset with her but I look at it as a mistake and everyone makes mistakes and hopefully it was a lesson well learned for her. She is young and she is all about buisness. She delivered Natalie assumed I was small and baby was small and there wasn't much blood and didn't take the time to get everythng out. She was probably in the delivery room for a total of 7mins.

After all that drama, things were better. I was really weak and lost a lot of blood so I needed my blood levels to build back up which can take over a month. I've dizzy and lighthead and it hasn't been very fun. The iron pills are suppose to help and they have helped some.

Natalie is a breastfeeding champ. Talk about a girl who knows what she is doing. She latched on so easily on one side and the other has been a challenge but she can do it. I read a lot of nursing and breastfeeding books. Jeane who works at River Oaks is a God sent too! She was really calm and postive with everything. I don't thnk I could have done it without her encouragement and such praise of what a great job I was doing as a new mom. That really helps. My friends mom, Jane, is a lactation nurse in TX and she was able to help with questions as well. She described the one side Natalie wasn't latching on to well as an apple. It's hard to bob for apples right? The are round and firm. Well, since I was so full and firm it's hard to grasp. So expressing some before will soften things up and allow her to do what she needs to do. Ding! A light went off. That made perfect since and well that worked! =)

We had many friends and family come and visit. My in-laws from Brazil arrived the day after the delivery and my father-in-law stayed a week and then left. My mother-in-law has been here ever since and will be leaving in August. This has been another whole experience that has it's up and downs for me. I'll go into detail of that in my next post about the month or first 4 weeks with Natalie. This should be interesting! =) Stay Tuned

Natalie Kate Rodrigues!

There is so much to talk about now that Natalie has arrived. I want to first talk about the whole childbirth expereince... my experience and the funny things that happened up until she arrived. We will start at where I left off... 39 weeks!

39 Weeks!

Natalie was born at 39 weeks and 3 days. I was expecting her to be atleast 7.5lbs but to my surprise she was very little.

June 16, 2010
For my last meal I really wanted to eat Jason's Deli chicken alfredo and ceasar salad! It wasn't M's favorite, but it wasn't about what he wanted to eat - right?! It was really good and just what I wanted. =) Marcos and I spent Wednesday night preparing last minute things for the Dr.'s appointment the following morning. We made Tshirts for the Grandparents and him. Proud Grandaddy, Proud Nonnie, Vovo^, Vovo' and then Marcos' shirt that read his new saying, "Dude to Dad 2010". It was about 11pm the time we finished and I was exhausted. I took a shower and volumized my hair and blow dried it so it would be perfect in the AM and I wouldn't have to spend to much time on it since I had to be at the Dr's at 830.

June 17, 2010
We got up at 730AM and start loading the car and I started getting ready. I wasn't really nervous but anxious wondering what the day would be like and how long all this would take. Marcos and I had hoped to eat breakfast together but time didn't allow which not knowingly would be a good thing for me in the future.
We arrived a little after 830 and waited to see the Dr. We went to our normal appointment where she check to see how much progress I had made. Well, I was still at 4 centimeters and she was ok... Today is the day. Did you bring your stuff - we are going to admit you. She immediately got on her Blackberry called and said, "I need a room set up for Jana Rodrigues and she has requested to have an epidural right away so please put the order in". I was relieved to hear her say that b/c that meant business and I thought I wouldn't have to wait long for it.

Marcos and I went upstairs about 915AM and filled out some paperwork and next thing I knew I was in THE ROOM! My nurse was named, Lauren who was pregnant as well and having her second son in 10weeks. Marcos left to get the stuff from out of the car while I got prepped w/ Iv's and blood taken. I asked to wear my Maternity gown and they let me wear it! I was styling and happy now. By this time it was 945AM and my Dr. had come back to the room. I was still be poked and prodded and didn't know what she was doing until I heard her say, "And here comes the WATER" OMG! She BROKE my water! I wasn't prepared at all for this. Where was my epidural? Why didnt' she tell me what she was doing? Then she just walked out of the room. I sat there in shock not understand all what happened, expect that now it was 10AM and my water was already broken!!! I got on the phone and called everyone ASAP telling them they broke my water. Everyone said, "Ohh well you will have her around the evening about 3 or 4 cause you are still just 4 centimeters". People were planning to stop by and say Hey during their lunch hour. Which was fine for me... so I thought!?

1030AM - I'm feeling crampy. Really crampy and I want my epidural. Where is it?! I decided to be a baby and cry. So the tears start flowing as I tell Marcos please go find out where my epidural is. My sweet hubby frantically left the room to inform them I was crying and wanted my epidural. No sooner than that Mr Epidural man arrived. He was SOOO sweet and funny. I loved him. I was having contractions that were uncomfortable but not horrible - I felt the contractions more in my back which wasn't fun. I was nervous about having a contraction while getting the epidural but I learned that right have I had a contraction it gave me enough time to breathe and relax. So we started the epi. after the contraction. It took forever to get it put in but the epi. didn't hurt at all. I think it took like 20mins. I could still feel the contraction but it didn't hurt. I just felt pressure. It was nothing like I had expected. I had imagined I'd feel nothing. Feeling the pressure wasn't bad and was actually good because it would soon tell me when it was time to push!

11:15AM I felt like I had to go to tinkle. So they put a catheter in which was not fun. With every contraction now it was very uncomfortable. I told my nurse and she was trying to figure out what I was talking about. By 11:45AM she had the Epidural man come back in and they figured out that my epidural was working on the right side but not on the left side. So I laid on my side for the meds to flow over that way. During this my nurse Lauren check me I was 6 centimeters. I was having a contraction and she said push with the contraction while she was checking me. Well, what ever she did I went from 6 centimeters to 8 centimeters to almost fully dilated. She got up and told me that we'd probably have a baby soon. I wasn't sure what that meant.

It was 12pm and everyone had shown up because they were taking a lunch break. Grant it, I had just been checked was almost fully dilated whatever that meant. Well, let me tell you what that meant. I held on to the bars and starts crying - I am going to POOP!! Please, someone help. I am going to POOP! =) Yes! I couldn't care less who was in the room - All I knew was that it felt like was goign to POOP all over the table. The nurses came in and said, "Ohh baby you don't have to it's probably the position of your baby". I'm begging them to please let me get up and sit on the potty! My nurse couldn't help me so another nurse came in. She reassured me I wasn't goign to poop but if I needed to then poop on the table. I cried harder! NOO! I don't want to poop on the table I want to PooP in toilet!! My tears came harder and she decided to see what was going on. She checked me and said, "OH LORD, This BABY is coming NOW". Then everyone started running in! The nurse informed me that I would feel better if I pushed and that if I laid on my back and pushed the pain would go away. Well, PRAISE GOD. That was so much better. Why didn't some tell me that when it started! Everyone was in teh room and I started practice pushing around 1230PM. The Dr. arrived at 1245PM and said, "Let's have a baby!" And so we did. With about 6 pushes a tiny tiney baby arrived. The love of my life!

12:57PM Natalie Kate Rodrigues with 5lbs 13oz and 19 1/4inches long. She was perfect!

-- I'll post pictures later and update up on the AFTER birth - It was scarey - I hemmoraghed.