Rosita’s Story: Military, motherhood, marriage, and the unconditional love that makes this all go round.
Hey Rosita, tell us about your motherhood journey!
I am a 23 year old momma of 2 boys and 1 angel baby. While also being in the military for the last 5 and a half years. Within those years I met my husband and our parent journey began. Within a few months of being together my husband (boyfriend at the time) found out we were expecting our first baby. I had gotten off of birth control before I even got with him. We weren't trying for a baby but also weren't being the safest on avoiding it. We were both nervous but were excited as well as he comes from a family of 7. Within the first few weeks of my pregnancy I was very nauseous so I learned about Sea Bands, they were the biggest help within the time frame that I wore them I was actually able to eat. So I Highly recommend those.
January 4th of 2021 we went in for our routine 10 week ultrasound. I laid on the table with the excitement of hearing and seeing my baby for a 2nd time. At the end of the ultrasound the tech got up and said she had to run and talk to the doctor to see if there was any more images that needed to be taken. I had no idea what was to come. She told me that my doctor needed to talk to me. I walked into a room with a phone on the wall and answered the phone, " We are unable to find a heartbeat" was all I recall from the conversation as I slide down the wall screaming as my husband comes running to catch me. We left the hospital with broken hearts. They set up an appointment the next day to talk about what comes next. We went in and they told me that it was a missed miscarriage which is why I didn't have any blood or signs of a miscarriage. They gave me three option to remove my baby. I took the pills that I could insert on my own at home as I just wanted to be with my husband
Everyone around us was completely devastated. It was one of the hardest times of my life as I believed that it was my fault. That my body killed my baby. There was nights that I would stay up sobbing and my husband couldn't do anything but hold me as I let the tears out. My husband was my saving grace at this point. He was my person and the one that kept me strong. I took moments to cry. Crying is a normal thing the body does that you have to allow. I found things that I enjoyed. About a month after that my husband and I got married. There was a lot of happiness but still days that are hard with not having my angel baby. I beyond excited for the day that I get to meet her/him again.
January 26 2021 I rushed into the emergency room for clots that were bigger than tennis balls. The doctor looked at my uterus and said that there were still pieces from my pregnancy in there and I lost it. I cried so hard. I felt like they were telling me that I lost my baby all over again. At this point I had been bleeding for over 2 weeks. They scheduled a DNC for the next morning. I went in the next day and I laid on the prep bed as I looked at my husband with tears running down my face. I woke up with my husband next to me and my husband and I went home hopeful that we could get our rainbow baby.
March 4th 2021 is when I found out I was expecting my Alexander,.. I had gotten my rainbow baby we were all so happy. Throughout the pregnancy I had a lot of anxiety. I had to trust that my body could do what it was meant to do. We went in for our 10 week scan. With so much fear. But there he was a happy strong heartbeat baby. After that appointment we went ahead and did a Sneak Peek Gender reveal test and it said I was having a boy. We were beyond excited. Everything was going so smooth. I decided to work my entire pregnancy which made time go by super fast. I loved being pregnant. I could eat whatever I wanted. I loved getting maternity pictures done. My husband was currently Active Duty in Battle Creek MI. I was due with my baby in Nov of 2021. In August of 2021 my husband got a phone call saying that he was going on deployment April of 2022 for about a year. I was beyond terrified of raising my baby alone for his first year of life. While I am still a part of the military and training one weekend a month and two weeks in the summer.
October 28th of 2021 we were going into the hospital for an induction because my Alexander was measuring 9lbs. My doctor was worried that he would be to big to push on my own and I didn't want a emergency c-section. So we walked in hand in hand with smiles on our faces that we were gonna become real parents. I went in and wasn't dilated at all. They inserted pill to start my dilation. Four hours went by and I only dilatated to a 1. They inserted a second set of pills and 4 hours went by and I dilatated to a 2. They moved me into a labor room and my doctor came in and he asked if I wanted my water broken and I said yep lets get this going. He broke my water and put me on Pitocin. This was a about 5PM. Come 12 AM on the 29th my contractions were 1 min apart with contractions that were lasting 30 seconds. I wanted to try to do a unmedicated labor as much as I could but I couldn't rest. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to push my baby out. So I got the epidural and went to sleep for about 4 hours. I woke up at 4:00 with the urge to poop and at 5:04 pushed out a healthy 7lbs 11oz baby boy. My Alexander Wayne. Nothing else mattered in that moment I had the best experience with my labor. I love my doctor. I loved all the nurses at Promedica IN Monroe. Motherhood after my oldest was hard with knowing that my husband would soon be leaving for a year. I did breast feed with him but he had a hard time latching. So we pumped to bottle for him. He slept ok through the night I did experience baby blues. Luckily no postpartum. I was just trying to enjoy every moment with my baby and my husband before he left. I went in for my 6 week check up and my doctor asked if I wanted birth control and I said no because I knew my husband was about to leave. That was not a smart move. About two months later I noticed my milk supply dropped more than normal drops I was super irritable and very emotional so I went and bought a pregnancy test. February 16th 2022 I found out I was pregnant with my 2nd baby!
The shock was intense. I had done what I could to be safe so that this wouldn't happen. The excitement was still very much there. We told family right away since my husband was leaving in over a month, I wanted to have their support. Everyone else was just in much shock as I was. My milk supply went down to almost nothing that I had to switch my oldest to formula. That was such a hard thing to do but as mommas we have to realize that fed is best. I had done everything that I could. But with the stress with my husband leaving and being pregnant I wasn't surprised that I didn't have much of a supply.
My husband left for deployment April of 2022 and it felt as though I was falling apart. I had to make a baby and take care of another one who doesn't even crawl yet. I went through the deployment and looked forward to every visit so that I could see my little baby. The only way that I got through these 10 months was family. Family got me through all of it. During this time my oldest was thriving on all of the love he was getting from everyone. I did the sneak peak gender test and it said that I was having a boy. During my husbands deployment I had a lot of ups and downs. Not with my pregnancy but with everything else. I took time throughout all of this to enjoy my pregnancy. To enjoy my Alex as he would only be that age once. Then I got to 38 weeks and went in for my OB appointment. My doctor was concerned that my fluid levels were low and set my induction to the following Thursday. He told me to go home and Red Cross my husband home. I went home and did just that and after 5 days my husband was back home. He came home Tuesday October 18 and that night at around 3am I started to get some pains. Which only got stronger and more closer and within the hour my mother in law was taking us to the hospital.
I've never really had a birth plan. I just always want a happy healthy baby. We went in and I was about 6 cm dilated. This time around I was all down for the epidural since I have already had it in the past. When I got the epidural everything slowed down tremendously. None of my contractions actually hurt if anything they tickled and I would laugh my whole contraction. Around 11:50am I had to push and I laughed until I hit the ring of fire as I knew It was close. I closed my eyes and told my body to push as we were about to have our baby. I pushed and there he was a 7lbs and 4 oz healthy baby. My As soon as he came out I could tell that the demeanor in the rom change. I looked over at my husband as his face looked pale. Then I started going black. I had been losing blood. As well as my placenta was coming out in chunks. My mother in law was getting nervous in the corner as she had experienced something very similar. Next thing I knew was that my baby was on my chest. I was in heaven. All I knew from that experience was that I had almost lost enough blood for a transfusion. But we were good and happy. The epidural had taken a really long time to wear off close to about 4 hours. Which wasn't normal as with my first it was only an hour. Recovery for me this time around was very different. It was very difficult especially since my husband left 1 week and a half after birth to go overseas again. Baby Blues hit me once again. There was so many emotions. My oldest had just turned one and I Had a newborn. I exclusively pumped with Jayce. With me being in the military I wanted to make sure that I pumped enough milk that he could have when I was gone. During this time I had bought a set of mom cozy breast pumps and absolutely loved them. My husband finally came home in February of 2023 and our boys have been thriving with both their parents home. I never regret being in the military and having my babies. The military gives a life that I have found so much family in that my boys are beyond loved.
What advice do you have for other Mamas?
Don't yourself short momma. Your body is meant to do this. Trust yourself and everything will be okay.
What 3 words best describe motherhood for you?
Busy, FUNFILLED, Dinosaurs
What does being a mother mean to you?
To me being a mom is giving my kids something that I didn't have. To be able to give my children the parents I never had. To go the places that I wanted to go. To be able to love my kids the way I wanted to be loved as a child.
Do you have any postpartum advice for mothers?
TAKE A BREAK. GIVE YOURSELF TIME TO RELAX You just pushed a human out. Take you time to let your body heal.