Maya - One Week Old

Here's my baby girl. As you can see, she was recently released from the hospital and she's still quite jaundiced.

Maya's First Bath!

Maya's Release

Finally, good news. Maya’s bili came back at 16.3. They shut off the lights and clamped her IV. She is being watched to make sure that the jaundice stays down on its own and doesn’t rebound. I am sure they will want to make sure that she continues to urinate without the IV. I am just thrilled that I can breast feed when I want for as long as I want and I can hold her and play with her without jeopardizing her treatment. The good news is that her 4pm blood count came back at 15.5. The doctor didn’t come back to see us until almost 9pm, but she said we can go home and we are thrilled.

Easter Sunday at the Hospital

There is something about the power of guilt. I had a feeling Maya would have jaundice. Because of my experience with Jayden, I was so anxious to leave the hospital as quickly as possible. I didn’t want to risk breastfeeding, especially since Maya was doing so well. I didn’t want to have an extended stay at the hospital, especially with Easter around the corner. I felt like Esteban and Jayden were leading one life and Maya and I were leading another. I just wanted to be home with my family. When my doctor offered to release the night before instead of waiting around till the morning, I jumped at it. The nurses obtained a release from the attending pediatrician, but we would have to get her blood work done the following day. No biggie. At that point, Maya’s bili was at 7 (borderline). I felt good about it. I was so ecstatic.

Now, here I am on Easter Sunday, an hour away from my family, alone and running on practically zero sleep, trying to fight Maya’s jaundice. I felt so guilty and horrible. Guilty for checking out early and horrible seeing Jayden so miserable while visiting mommy and sister. And poor Esteban running back and forth trying to do so much but not really helping me at all. All of my plans for Easter were gone. I didn’t get to color eggs with Jayden or do the egg hunt outside or give him his Easter basket. I was so sad.

Maya’s bili came back at 21.3 and she weighed in at 7 pounds, but still no urine, no stool. They put an IV into her arm to keep her hydrated. My breastfeeding was coming into question. I had to start supplementing with formula and then I began to pump my milk and bottle feed her. The doctors wanted to make sure that I was producing enough to feed her. Great! Now I feel like less of a woman. Her next bili result came back at 21.5. Now I have to shine the lights on her even while I am feeding her. I am up every two hours pumping and feeding and getting in whatever sleep I can. I have to do this for Maya.

Maya's Trip to Arnold Palmer Children's Hospital

I wanted to make sure that Maya’s bili went down so I decided to be more aggressive with her feeding schedule, feeding her every two hours and keeping her in the bili blanket for one hour intervals when she wasn‘t feeding. The doctor’s office wasn’t able to find a lab open on Saturday (holiday weekend) or a nurse to come to the home for Maya’s blood work, so we had to take Maya in to the ER. They drew her blood. I expected her levels to stay about the same. About an hour later, we got the call from the doctor saying Maya’s levels were in the danger zone (23) and she had to be admitted to Arnold Palmer Children’s Hospital in Orlando. She went on about Maya needing advanced treatment and possibly a blood transfusion. My head was reeling. We waited for a call saying they were ready for us and finally got to the hospital around 9pm. Maya was directly admitted and immediately put into a 3 light photo therapy incubator. She was weighing about 6 pounds 13 ounzes, a pound less than when we was born. She was not stooling or urinating. Esteban had to leave with Jayden and I sat there alone staring at Maya’s incubator. All kinds of things were going through my mind, but I knew that this was best for her. I just prayed.

Maya's First Day Home

Today is our first day home. There is so much to do. I wanted to unpack a couple of bags from our hospital visit and download all the pictures. I also hoped to eventually work on Maya’s announcement. We’re all so busy and tired. Esteban is caring for Jayden, Rio and the home while I tend to Maya and myself. We rushed out of the house to take Maya back in to the hospital for her blood work by 12 noon. That turned out to take longer than expected, but finally we finished up, had lunch and headed home. In the afternoon, I got a call from the doctor saying that Maya’s bili had shot up from 7 to 18 (nearing the danger zone). I was completely shocked. She arranged for us to have phototherapy treatment at home. While I was waiting, I put Maya near the window, for the indirect sunlight. The company arrived pretty quickly, delivered the bili blanket and showed us how to use it. It wasn’t too difficult, but keeping Maya in there was another story. She hates it and just cried the whole time. I think she feels trapped in there. We kept her in it for part of the day and let her sleep in her bassinet at night.

Maya's Arrival

The delivery was so perfect. I couldn’t have asked for more. The room was still dark because of the time so it felt so intimate and comfy. The room wasn’t crowded at all. It was just us plus the doctor and three nurses. I was sad thinking I wouldn’t have any female support during the delivery, but I actually ended up with a nurse on each side (shift change). They were great. I was alert and completely awake. I wasn’t exhausted from pushing. And when Maya was born, they gave us so much time with her before whisking her away. I got to breastfeed. I didn’t pass out or vomit, like I did with Jayden. No hemorraging. I couldn’t have been happier.

Besides being a little sleepy, I feel terrific!

I love this profile pic.

Her first smile...


One day old...

My little Pooh Bear...


Daddy has his hands full now...

Details Leading Up To The Delivery

3/29
1am - I woke up and felt minor cramps and wondered if labor was impending…
5am - I woke up and still have cramps. Now, I have a headache too.
11am - My headache is gone, but my cramps have come back.
12:30 pm - I feel lots of pressure.
11pm - My cramps started again.

3/30
My cramps are almost completely gone now. The baby’s activity level has been great today. I guess she’s not ready to come out.

3/31
1am - I woke up with abdominal pain. False alarm. It was gas.
1:30pm - I ache all over. I’m going to try taking a nap.
4pm - I have mild cramps.

4/1
1am - Esteban came home and I woke up briefly. I feel mild cramps.
2:15am - Still feel mild cramps.
6am - False alarm! Gas…
9:30am - I’m starting to feel some pressure. I took a shower and I’m going to go to church now.
1:30pm - Still feel some pelvic pressure and lower backache now. I just put Jayden to bed and I’m going to try to take a nap myself.
10pm - The pressure I was feeling lightened up a bit, but I still have lower backache. Looks like there won’t be any action tonight. The pain just isn’t progressing.

4/2
2am - No changes. Esteban and I bd, but instead of bringing on labor like I was hoping, it relieved all my aches and pains. No more cramps. No more lower back ache.

4/3
3:30pm - I had my doctor’s visit today. He said I’m 4-5 centimeters. Actually, he said “Let’s go upstairs and have this baby!” I’m so nervous and I start to cry. I called Esteban from the lobby of the Women’s Center and tell him to come home, which of course he doesn’t get. So I scream at him. It’s time! Come home!!! Instead of going upstairs as I was told, I decide to go home. This way, I can leave my car at home. I get my hospital bag. I pack a bag for Jayden. I call the sitter and ask her to take charge of Jayden over night. Then, Esteban comes home and makes arrangements for the neighbor to take care of Rio. We get Jayden some dinner before dropping him off at the sitter and then we pick up dinner for ourselves. Where to? Yo Quiero Taco Bell! We got to the Women’s Center at 6pm where I’m stuffing my face with my last taco before it’s show time.
6pm - It feels weird being at the hospital to deliver without having contractions. It hasn’t sunk in yet. The nurse goes in to contact Dr Casavant t make sure I’m supposed to be there. He had me admitted.
6:50pm - I’m at 6cm and -2 station and about 50% effaced. My water was broken and my IV was started. I’m having contractions but I’m not feeling them yet. The nurses are surprised.
7:20pm - I can start to feel my contractions now, but I’m not too bad yet. I will ask for an epidural soon.
7:45pm - My contractions are coming every 3 -5 minutes. They don’t think pitocin will be necessary. I went ahead and asked for my epidural since I was warned that it could take at least 30 minutes before I get mine.
8:15pm - I got my epidural and I feel relief for my contractions. The catheter is in now and I feel good, calm, and relaxed.
8:45pm - The nurse has me at about 5-6 centimeters, about 70% effaced, and about -2 station.
9:20pm - I already had my epidural, but I can still feel my legs and the way down to my toes. I feel the contractions now too. The nurse told me to press the button to release a bit more medicine. The contractions are still 3-5 minutes apart so they are going to give me a bit of pitocin to jump start things.
10:15pm - I’m still at 6 cm. I’m going to try to get some rest.

4/4
12:15am - I can totally feel the contractions.
1:15am - I agreed to have them remove and re-insert the epidural. Esteban almost passed out. I'm not sure what happened but I'm worried about him. He sits and rests. And as for me, HUGE difference! No more pain and my legs are now numb. Now I can get some rest. I’m still at 6cm.
3am - I feel like I’ve been sleeping for hours. I’m still 6 cm, but I’m about -1 station. The head is now lower and I’m going back to bed.
4:22am - Nurse thinks I may have sleep apnea. She gives me oxygen because my monitor keeps going below 95%. Isn’t that something? I always said it was Esteban with sleep apnea. Maybe that’s why I wake up more tired all the time. Now, I’m a stretchy 6cm and still 70% effaced.
6am - The nurse finds bloody show. I’m 10 cm and in between a +2 and +3 station. The head is showing. The nurse runs off to call the doctor in. I feel urges to push, but I wait. I can feel the head just hanging out there. Doctor arrives very quickly. The monitor shows I’m having a contraction but it’s almost over and I only have time for one push. Show me what you’ve got, he says. I push and he says the baby will be here in no time. The next contraction arrives and I push. I feel the head pop out. I push again and I feel the shoulders. The fourth and final push and I feel the baby arrive.
6:27am - Maya Isabella is born. She’s 7lbs and 13 oz and 19 ¼ inches. She’s cute as a button. She’s got a head full of jet black hair and dark eyes and pink as can be. She’s got dark colored eyes. She took the breast like a champ and latched on beautifully. I’m so lucky. Thank you God.