Reading Ina May's Guide to Childbirth and Your Best Birth Helped Devastasha During Her Hospital Birth

When did you realize you were really in labor?

I was the maid of honor in my best friend's wedding on my due date. I had a contraction in the car on the way from the church to the reception hall, but I realized it was actual labor when I stepped out of the car and my water broke.

What was the most challenging thing about going natural?

The most challenging part about going natural was transition, as I was throwing up during a contraction. However, there was never a point where I thought I couldn't do it.

What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?

I read Ina May's Guide to Childbirth and Your Best Birth and each of those books were incredibly helpful. I just had to be confident in my body's ability to give birth.

What surprised you about your birth?

It was a very fast labor. My water broke around 5 p.m. and my son was born at 12:43 a.m. And since I had no medications or interventions, I was completely myself in between contractions.

Trust your body, educate yourself on natural birth, and make sure your partner is on the same page. Support really makes all the difference between knowing you can do it and doubting yourself.

What pain relief strategies worked best?

I squeezed my partner's hand and pulled on the bed rails while taking deep breaths and blowing out like blowing out a candle.

What position did you end up delivering in?

I delivered laying down holding my feet as close to my shoulders as I could get them. The doctor and nurses kept asking, "How can you get your feet back there?!"

How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?

It was wonderful to have him out and in my arms. He was a little bruised from coming out do quickly, but he was a champion nurser from the beginning.

What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?

Trust your body, educate yourself on natural birth, and make sure your partner is on the same page. Support really makes all the difference between knowing you can do it and doubting yourself. My first son was 8lbs 12oz, induced with an epidural and a 3rd degree episiotomy. My recovery was terrible. Six years later, with a supportive partner, I delivered a 9lb 7oz boy naturally with only a first degree tear. My recovery has been so simple and easy, and I had almost no pain after the first few days.