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When did you realize you were really in labor?
I woke up at 4 am and started timing my contractions, which were about 7 minutes apart. An hour later they were about 5 minutes apart and I decided to wake my husband, two older children, and parents (who were staying with us) so we could all make the 45 minute drive to the hospital. By the time we arrived the contractions were 3 minutes apart.
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
With this being my third natural delivery I was well aware of the challenges and pain that was ahead of me-which was the biggest challenge in itself.
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
My husband and I took the Bradley Method classes with my first pregnancy so we broke out the workbook and reviewed the material again. I also watched YouTube videos of unmedicated births and read encouraging birth stories.
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What surprised you about your birth?
I was so surprised that my son only weighed 9 lbs 10 oz. That might sound big but the growth ultrasound I got 5 days before I went into labor said that the baby was estimated to be 11 lbs 5 oz. The doctors were so concerned that they offered me both an induction and/or a c-section. They told me all the scary yet super rare risk factors which really stressed me out. I decided to trust my body, which already birthed two big babies l, and declined both. I am very glad I did because he ended up being only 6 oz more than my last baby.
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Trust yourself and your body! I was told that an experienced mama was the most accurate estimator of a baby's weight and that turned out to be true.
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
Swaying side to side while my mom applied light pressure to my lower back during the contractions helped a lot. I also concentrated on relaxing my whole body and breathing during the contractions.
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What position did you end up delivering in?
I pushed standing up, on hands and knees, side laying, and on my back. I wanted to deliver on hands and knees but the contraction right before I switch positions again was the one that delivered him, which surprised everyone-even me!
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
It was such a wave of relief! After all the talk of having a "big baby" and the risks of shoulder dystocia and nerve damage I was so happy to have him in my arms without any complications.
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What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
Trust yourself and your body! I was told that an experienced mama was the most accurate estimator of a baby's weight and that turned out to be true. I didn't feel like this baby was significantly larger than my last one and I was right. I guessed this baby would be about 1/2 lb more than my last and the the ultra sound guessed 2 lbs more. He ended up being 6 oz more than my last. I couldn't believe that the ultrasound was 2 lbs off! Glad I didn't opt for the c-section!
