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When did you realize you were really in labor?
I never got the chance to go into labor. I had Braxton Hicks from 30 weeks on. They got more regular as I got to about 35 weeks.
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
Not being able to go fully natural. I had intended to do a fully natural birth center birth attended by a midwife. No drugs, no interventions. When I was diagnosed with Placenta Accreta that all changed. I was diagnosed at 36 weeks and my daughter was delivered via c-section at 37 weeks to the day. Since my dream of a natural birth was lost, I decided to go as natural as possible pre and post c-section. My birth was still attended by my midwife but she partnered with an Ob.
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
Researching and studying techniques to make the whole birth process as joyful and relaxed as possible. I was fully prepared for the breathing and relaxation I needed. I may not have had labor but the same techniques helped tremendously through healing after surgery.
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What surprised you about your birth?
Being able to save my uterus (I was scheduled for a partial hysterectomy due to the placenta being ingrown into the uterine wall. The surgeon patiently waited to see if the placenta would detach on its own, which it did!) and also the sad surprise that my daughter needed the NICU for breathing issues because she was early.
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I was fully prepared for the breathing and relaxation I needed. I may not have had labor but the same techniques helped tremendously through healing after surgery. Natural birth is so much more than the delivery alone.
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
Breathing was the biggest help. Also reminding myself that our bodies are meant to heal and repair themselves. Drugs might get rid of the pain but they don't help you heal necessarily. Making sure I walked and ate well helped with my body's ability to work through post birth pain on its own without narcotics.
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What position did you end up delivering in?
Laying down. C-section.
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
It was amazing. Our NICU is so pro breastfeeding and holding that they did everything possible to help me bond and hold my baby even when she was attached to tubes. My baby never had to get formula. Knowing that she was getting my milk alone helped us bond so well. We never suffered with nursing afterwards either. The bond between my daughter and I is the strongest and purest love I have ever felt.
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What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
My story is not the typical natural birth. It was a planned natural birth turned surgical birth, however there is so much you can do both before and after to make it as natural as possible. It's so easy to become upset that you can't go fully natural, I was guilty of that disappointment as well, but with the help of my midwife and my pro natural birth OB, my birth story was way more natural than a typical c-section. And my daughter benefited from that tremendously. She was scheduled to spend about a month in the NICU but by immediately breastfeeding and making sure my milk and myself were as healthy as can be, she came home after only 7 days. Natural birth is so much more than the delivery alone. It's focusing on the best possible nutrients for you and your baby.
