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When did you realize you were really in labor?
It was New Years eve, the three kids were all either asleep, or away with friends. My husband and I were sad that we were spending it without them, I couldn't drink wine or champagne, we had no yummy snacks, and I was 2 days overdue and stressed! My husband says: "this is the worst New Years". At 11:00 I snuggled up next to him on the couch to start watching the New Years eve broadcast from Times Square, and no sooner did my butt hit the couch and my water broke. BAM!!! This was my 4th pregnancy and this was the first time my water broke before contractions started. My husband starts freaking out saying, " BEST NEW YEARS EVER!!!!!"
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
Relying on my own body to manage the pain. I've had 2 births with epidurals and 2 without. Unmedicated is DEFINITELY more challenging, but so much more rewarding. I had to keep reminding myself to relax, to breathe and to focus. As soon as I started to tense up and lose focus, the pain became overwhelming and would take my breath away.
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
Read. I researched as much as I could about how to cope, how to relax, and prepare your body for this crazy journey.
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What surprised you about your birth?
This time around the whole experience was so different. It was draining, both physically and emotionally. With three kids at home(12, 5, and 18 months), and being overdue, I was completly exhausted before I even went into labour. Then my water broke before contractions started which was new for me. Then active labour didn't start for 17 hours. I tried a few things to get it started( drinking castor oil, taking special herbs every 15 minutes, using a breast pump 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off), and hadn't slept all night so I was exhausted and became so overwhelmed, and just deflated. I remember telling my midwife while I sobbed into her shoulder, I just wanted it to be over so I could meet my baby. This was before I even started consistent contractions!! But once my contractions started at 4pm, it was fast and furious!! By 9:30 I was in the tub pushing with all my strength , but that boy had one big head. It took a lot of strength to get him out. I pushed for over half an hour before his head came out at 10:00, then while his body was still inside me, I felt him kick me with both feet as hard as he could one last time before I pushed the rest of him out, and we met our little munchkin for the first time. It was a lot of work getting him out, but as soon as I stood up in the tub, my placenta more or less fell out all in its own.
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Unmedicated is DEFINITELY more challenging, but so much more rewarding. I had to keep reminding myself to relax, to breathe and to focus.
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
Early in my labour I found focused breathing helped a lot. I had to be at the birth center very early, so I was there when my contractions started. I remember there was a medallion hanging near the window and everytime a contraction came I would relax my whole body, smile, breathe slowly in for a count of 6, then out for 8, while I stared at this medallion. Once things got more intense I found sitting on the toilet helped, and just changing positions. I walked all over my room, and leaned over the counter while swaying my hips and breathing. Around probably 8 cm I had to be in the tub. I couldn't handle not being in the tub. My midwife was starting to fill it, and I was already undressed and getting in even though there was hart any water in it. The warm water helped a lot. That's about all that helped at that point. Then once pushing started, I had such a hard time stopping because as soon as I stopped pushing the pain became almost unbearable. I pushed so hard for so long I started blacking out. My husband saw this do he kept telling me to slow down and breathe.
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What position did you end up delivering in?
I changed positions a few times once baby boy started crowning because he was stuck a bit. I was in the tub on my back, then on my hands and knees, the on my side, then onto my back for the final delivery.
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
Amazing. The feeliing never gets old. My fourth baby, and it's still the best, most amazing, surreal feeling in the world.
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What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
You can absolutly do it. Trust your body to do what is natural. Relax as much as possible. I rushed the pushing because I was so tired, and wanted it to be over so I could rest and hold my baby. But don't rush it. Just relax , breathe, and let your body and your baby tell you what they need.
