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When did you realize you were really in labor?
Two days after a full moon, I could tell my body was preparing for change. Around 9:00 am I was home alone and began having consistent contractions that I could not ignore. I called my husband and my best friend to make sure they would be available to support me.. It was so exciting!!!
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
Feeling protected and retaining my focus when my curious mother-in-law and my mother did not honor our wishes... They came to our home uninvited during my labor and that made me feel vulnerable and uneasy. During a most private time, when I had to muster all my courage, I felt betrayed.
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Kristin
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
Reading everything Ina May Gaskin and Bountiful, Beautiful, Blissful: Experience the Natural Power of Pregnancy and Birth with Kundalini Yoga and Meditation. These women's words were so empowering to me.
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What surprised you about your birth?
I was so much more composed and powerful than I ever imagined I could be. I was really able to enjoy the beauty of it because I was at home in my happy place with my favorite people.
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Every time I left the water, my labor intensified. So I stayed put! And I would not refer to my sensations as pain, but rather very hard work that required incredible focus.
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
Breathing through the waves and staying in the warm water during my labor were amazingly helpful. Every time I left the water, my labor intensified. So I stayed put! And I would not refer to my sensations as pain, but rather very hard work that required incredible focus.
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What position did you end up delivering in?
I was squatting in a birthing pool, my face resting on the side, my arms hanging out of the pool.
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
Surreal.. She didn't cry for at least 30 minutes.. she was so peaceful in my arms, under water on my chest... It was so lovely to see her peacefully drinking in her first moments with us.
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What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
You are a powerful creature- and you will amaze yourself. Please allow yourself to experience this amazing journey with as few interventions as possible. You will forever be changed.
