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When did you realize you were really in labor?
I was woken up by a strong surge at 1:40 am. I had to get in a cat pose and breath really deep until the surge went away. As soon as the surge passed, I went to the bathroom and experienced birth show. I knew at that moment that I was going to meet my precious baby pretty soon. I woke up my husband and said "This is it, I'm in labor", he got up immediately and said "How do you know?" and I said "I know". I had taken a picture of the birth show and showed it to him. Another surge came 7 minutes later, we started timing them. After that, they were coming every minute. I decided to take a shower and put some lavender oil on to relax. I knew my midwife had a long drive and I felt things were moving pretty quick.
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
I always knew I wanted to give birth to my baby without medication. I was never afraid of pain or being unable to do so. I was more afraid of the circumstances that can lead to have a medicated birth, such as a hospital atmosphere, or unexpected complications. Our biggest challenge was deciding to do a home birth. We toured our hospital and we decided it wasn't for us. However, I was also afraid of giving birth at home. We decided to further educate ourselves on home births, birth centers and giving birth as a whole. We learned about birth complications and how Midwives handle complications in the same manner as in a hospital. We learned that giving birth is a natural event and that our bodies were designed for it. We started to view birth differently and all of our fears diminished little by little until there were no fears but instead gratitude to God and delight to what he has created.
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
Having a doula by my side at all times during my pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. She helped us some much in every way. She helped us realease our fears, educated us, and supported us in every way. We also attended the Hypnobirthing Class, which really taught me relaxation techniques that I still practice today.
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What surprised you about your birth?
Everyone kept telling me I was going to have a quick and easy delivery, and I always wondered why everyone thought that. I was surprised I started dilating at 37 weeks without pain or being uncomfortable. At my 38-week appointment I was already 4 cm and 70% effaced. I was still working and walking around. My midwife advised me to take a week off to rest and dedicate some time for myself. I followed her recommendation and my baby was born after a week of rest and to myself. In the end they were all right, I was blessed with a quick and easy delivery, lasting 4.5 hours.
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Educate, educate, and educate yourself. There are options and not all options are for everyone. Discover the options you want and the ones that work best for you. Do what you feel is right for you and your family.
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
Doing the slow dance with my husband or doula,while moving my hips side to side and vocalizing sounds that required to open the mouth. This really took away my mind from the surges. My doula also used a lot of essential oils that were comforting and she did a soft touch on my back with her fingers. All of these techniques took my mind of the surges and there was a moment until the end that I felt no pain.
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What position did you end up delivering in?
I delivered in a birth pool in a sitting position.
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
It has been the most wonderful feeling I have ever felt. I felt relieved, full of joy, gratitude, delight... I could go on and on about all the wonderful feelings I felt and still not be able to explain what I truly felt.
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What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
Educate, educate, and educate yourself. There are options and not all options are for everyone. Discover the options you want and the ones that work best for you. Do what you feel is right for you and your family. Discover your fears, doubts, and feelings and work with them throughout your entire pregnancy. Once you know your fears and feelings and you do something about them, you feel released and ready to have the birth you want.
