Real Women. Real Experiences. – Marisela K
Q: Tell me about yourself. Where are you from? How many kids do you have?
A: My name is Marisela, born and raised in WI. Currently living in MI. I have two children, ages 6 and 9.
Q: How was your pregnancy? The good? The bad?
A: With both of my pregnancies, I was diagnosed with Hyperemesis gravidarum (HG). and quite honestly it was the worst thing to go through. Because of this, I was required to see a fetal specialist once a week to ensure the baby was growing, despite continuously losing weight throughout the pregnancy. Ultimately not enjoying my pregnancies, I knew I was not going to have another child and opted for a tubal ligation. The best part of my pregnancy was when it was over!
Q: How was your labor and delivery? Did you birth at home? Hospital? C-section?
A: My first born was born after 22 hours, 3 failed epidurals and 1 spinal block AND a C-section. I was unable to hold him after birth for nearly 5 hours as a result .I’d say this first experience was nothing I would have predicted. I knew I’d never go through that again when I found out I was expecting my second child, so I decided to have a scheduled C-Section. Her delivery was extremely easy and without complications.
Q: Describe your postpartum experience. Did you experience postpartum depression? Postpartum anxiety? Postpartum rage? Were you aware of these things postpartum?
A: I have been dealing with depression and anxiety most of my life, so my medical provider was aware and provided me with the tools and resources for postpartum. What I had not prepared for was Postpartum Rage and the anger I had felt towards other mom’s who seemed to have it all together. Or my husband for breathing too loud. ;D
Q: Did you breastfeed? If so, how did that go for you? If it was challenging, what were your challenges?
A: I breastfed both of my children. My first was breastfed for the first 4 months and then formula fed. My second child was fully breastfed for an entire year without needing supplement with formula. This was a huge accomplishment for me and it gave me confidence I never had before. I had struggled with both kids due to inverted nipples, and both children being tongue tied. With each child, my breastfeeding experience was completely different from one another. Needless to say the bond that it created between us was magical and irreplaceable.
Q: Did you have any pregnancy cravings?
A: My biggest pregnancy craving was crushed ice, fruity tooties, and literal dirt. Once I described my craving for dirt to my doctor, and how incredible nauseous I was, this lead to testing and finding out that I had HG.
Q: What’s something you never knew about until you were pregnant?
A: Something I didn’t know until I was pregnant is that your body can produce milk early in your pregnancy and can actually cause you to leak! This prepared me well for my second pregnancy.
Q: What was something that surprised you about your postpartum journey?
A: I think the most surprising thing about my postpartum journey is truthfully how much I would change as a person. I thought things would perhaps stay the same, but I quickly learned that being a new mom came with its own set of challenges.
Q: If there was a gift to give a new mom, what would it be?
A: The best gift you can give to a new mom would be space and time to enjoy her new baby and respect her schedule.
Q: If you could give a new mom some advice what would it be?
A: My new mom's advice would be this - Each and every experience you have with your baby is your own, and don’t listen to unsolicited advice from ANYONE.