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When did you realize you were really in labor?
I had been having false labor for hours all week. I was nearing a week overdue so every time I was contracting I thought it was the real deal. I realized I was in labor when the contraction kept getting more frequent AND stronger.
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
The most challenging part about my natural labor was keeping my mind at peace. There were times doubt would flood in and I would need to flush it out of my mind.
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
The most helpful thing I did was to stay active and practice hypnobirthing. I worked out until the very last day of my pregnancy and that gave me the strength to do whatever position I needed to cope with the labor pains. I also would listen to hypnobirthing audio before bed every night to practice putting my mind at ease with the very same audio I would later be laboring & birthing to. I got in a rhythm so when the time came I was at peace.
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What surprised you about your birth?
The most surprising part about having a natural birth was how much my body naturally knew what to do. I spent the labor focusing on staying relaxed and my body did the rest of the work on its own! Our bodies our amazing machines!
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Surround yourself with only positive people and education that support your natural labor. Pain is progress. Your body will know exactly what to do. Our bodies were made to birth naturally! I had an epidural with my first baby and I would birth naturally all over again if I had the chance to. It is an amazing experience.
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
The most important things to relieve pain I used were therapy bags on my back to relieve back labor, early labor I spent on a exercise ball, during transition I used the whirlpool tub, and throughout the entire thing even through pushing I used hypnobirthing. I also would not have been able to stay as relaxed without my husband and my doula Meagan working together as a perfect team.
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What position did you end up delivering in?
I delivered leaning upright against the hospital bed.
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
Pure bliss. We didn't find out gender so the first time I held him was such an intimate moment for me. We instantly connected.
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What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
Surround yourself with only positive people and education that support your natural labor. Pain is progress. Your body will know exactly what to do. Our bodies were made to birth naturally! I had an epidural with my first baby and I would birth naturally all over again if I had the chance to. It is an amazing experience.
