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When did you realize you were really in labor?
When I had contractions that had me on the toilet and shivering head to toe every 4 minutes
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
The pain. My baby was asynclitic (he tilted his head during birth) so pushing was extra long. I had no idea I’d been pushing for 6 hrs!!!! It was intense and I just wanted to quit altogether.
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
Diet, exercise, affirmations... definitely all helped me sustain a 17-hour birth!
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What surprised you about your birth?
My water never broke!
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The birth class taught me what to expect. So when each new thing happened, it wasn’t a surprise. I used all the tools I had time for (my labor was really fast!) and felt empowered in an area I had zero experience with.
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
Pushing on hips. Birth pool was nice to labor in
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
Surreal. We worked so hard to get him out, I was expecting this beautiful endearing moment, but I think we were all so exhausted, concerned that he was ok and then relieved that he was... It was all so surreal.
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What did you name your baby, and why?
Logan Eric. We had a tough time deciding on boys names. Girls— we had, but boys? We disagreed on. We each made a list, shared them and vetoed nearly everything! Logan was #2 on both our lists.
Eric is for my Dad. He died suddenly almost 19 years ago. He was my favorite person, and now he has a Grandson whom I hope has his fun-loving spirit and talents.
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How did the Mama Natural Birth Class help you in your childbirth?
The birth class taught me what to expect. So when each new thing happened, it wasn’t a surprise. I used all the tools I had time for (my labor was really fast!) and felt empowered in an area I had zero experience with.