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When did you realize you were really in labor?
After about a day of inconsistent contractions, I realized I was in labor around midnight on July 26 when they started to consistently come about 5-6 minutes apart. Around 2:30am, I called my midwife and doula to come over to help me, as I was having trouble dealing with the contractions. They arrived about an hour later and were very helpful in coaching me how best to breathe through the contractions instead of tensing my body through them.
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
The most challenging thing for me was dealing with how long the labor lasted (21 hours). Throughout the day, I was feeling very discouraged by the length, as I was hoping for a much shorter labor! (Although, this labor was nothing in comparison to the ~57 hour labor of my first!) My contractions had never gotten closer than 3-4 minutes apart, which is why my labor was as long as it was. I guess my body just prefers a slower labor!
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
The most helpful thing I did was deciding to do a homebirth with a midwife and a doula. After dealing with a lot of grief with the midwife group that I had used for my first pregnancy/birth (there were issues coming up as a result of my decision to not have any ultrasounds, such as them talking about not letting me go "past-due", and possibly having to be delivered by an OB instead of a midwife, and culminating with their changing of my due date from July 17 to July 6- due to the one ultrasound I did have at 14 weeks when I was in the ER as a result of dehydration), we met with a homebirth midwife and switched over to her care at 31 weeks!
Having a homebirth was an amazing experience, and I am confident that I would not have been able to have a natural birth in the hospital (I would have given up so many times!).
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What surprised you about your birth?
I was surprised that I was able to do it! And even more surprised when my husband said "It's a boy!".
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You can do it! Give yourself the best chance, by researching your options (homebirth, if that's appropriate for your situation) and getting a good support team for your pregnancy and labor!
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
Laboring in the shower, with the hot water on my back while I leaned on my husband and he put pressure on my back eased the pain quite a bit. Also, just switching positions every once in a while provided some relief.
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What position did you end up delivering in?
I ended up delivering on my side in my own bed, after only about 30 minutes of pushing. I was in the shower just before, where my water broke.
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
It felt so good to finally have him in my arms (even though I was convinced he would be a girl!). Just knowing that I could now relax and snuggle with my new baby was a feeling that I can't describe with words. :)
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What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
You can do it! Give yourself the best chance, by researching your options (homebirth, if that's appropriate for your situation) and getting a good support team for your pregnancy and labor!
