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When did you realize you were really in labor?
I had been having a lot of “fake” contractions for about a week. Real enough to me that I had gone in multiple times during the week leading up to the birth, but they would slow down after an hour or two of bing consistent. So on the actual day, I was in denial and determined to not go into the hospital until I was absolutely sure. My mom had to pretty much push me out the door after laboring at home from midnight until 3 pm. When the nurse told me I was a 6 (after being a 3 for almost 3 weeks) I think I finally admitted I was in labor, for real this time.
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
The transition period. After my water broke, that’s when it got tough. I had told my husband that I was saving my 10 on the pain scale for a gunshot wound, but after my water broke, I can say I was at a 10. Every contraction I wanted to ask for the pain meds, but I held off and was able to make it to the next, and then the next until she was born!
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
Taking the Mama Natural Birth Course was amazing. It gave me a lot of tools, but it gave my husband a lot of tools that we didn’t have when our twins were born. Even the tools for positioning baby before birth was super helpful! I also prayed a lot for a helpful nurse, since my husband was not up for a home birth. I got that amazing nurse, she was a big part to why my birth went so well.
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What surprised you about your birth?
The hospital surprised me the most. They didn’t fight any of my natural birth methods or even question them. The doctor even had a timer set for 10 minutes, as that’s what I requested for the delayed cord clamping. But, also the pain. I don’t think anyone or anything could have prepared me for the pain, and I didn’t even have back labor, baby was perfectly positioned.
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Pain management, baby positioning prior to birth. Most of all the ability to tell myself I didn’t need the pain meds, and I could do this without even mentioning them!
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
The bath was helpful for a time, but eventually, I didn’t want to be in there anymore. The nurse reminded me to relax my hands and the rest of my body as much as I could during the contractions and I actually think that was the most helpful pain relief for me. Letting the contractions come and giving my body permission to just work through them, and not fight them.
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
Unbelievable. My twins were born via C-section at 33 weeks and my son has spina bifida. It was traumatic for me, as I wasn’t “done” being pregnant yet so I went through a mourning process before, during and after birth. It was almost torture to not hold my babies or even be next to them after they were born. So when Noelle was placed on me this time, I couldn’t believe I had her, and I was so excited. I felt “finished” being pregnant and couldn’t be happier to be holding our baby girl.
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What did you name your baby, and why?
Her name is Noelle Cody. We just came across the name Noelle and we both liked it, but as we didn’t know the gender we didn’t name her until she was born. Her middle name is Cody, my husband had an older brother that he never met. My mother in law’s son Cody, from her first marriage, passed away after getting hit by a car at the age of 2. My mother in law and I had bonded and talked a lot about Cody this year, and after that, I knew I wanted to incorporate his name whether our baby was a boy or girl.
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How did the Mama Natural Birth Class help you in your childbirth?
Pain management, baby positioning prior to birth. Most of all the ability to tell myself I didn’t need the pain meds, and I could do this without even mentioning them!
