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When did you realize you were really in labor?
I woke up at 3:18 am with pain in my pelvic area. I didn't know if these were my real contractions or not. I had always figured they would have been in my tummy/back and I thought this pain was just my bones shifting to get ready for my baby. I was of course only 39wks and first time moms usually go past their due date, right?
I started to time these pains and found that they were 7-8 minutes apart. Maybe these are the contractions! I tried hard to rest in between the contractions like my midwives and doula had told me to do during all my check ups. Every so often I got up to use the bathroom because I felt like I had to pee every time the pain came.
Between 3:30 to about 7:30 I timed them and they slowly grew closer and closer (with a few one exceptions of some being 30 minutes apart).
I finally called both the midwife on call and my doula. Both saying this was it and for me to try and relax after each wave.
At this point I decided to hop into the shower to see if that would relax my muscles (and let's be honest, to shave my legs). By the time I was out of the shower the contractions where 4 mins apart. My husband called our midwife on call again and she offered to come to our house and check me (she luckily lived just a short drive down the road).
Once at our home she checked me and said so calmly and sweetly, "okay this is it! I'll meet you at the birth center".
We arrived at the center about 10:30 am, our midwife pulled my husband aside as I was being ushered into our room and told him "good thing we came now, your wife was at 10cm at home!"
After a few teeth clenching pushes my baby boy was out! Born at 11:13 am.
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
I was worried before hand about the pain. Though I have a high pain tolerance I was still worried about being in pain for a long period of time.
When I was 19 I had an ovarian cyst that had to be surgically removed, to which other gals had told me that those hurt worse than child birth. So I kind of had something to compare it to.
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
Research. I went to as many classes as I could, read a ton of blogs and books, and prepared myself physically (eating right, stretching, practicing positions) and mentally with positive thinking (I can do this!).
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What surprised you about your birth?
I thought the pain would be as bad as it was when I was younger with that ovarian cyst. But it wasn't! Dare I say that child birth was easier?
It was also a lot quicker than I thought. My mom and one of my older sisters have always had quick labors (6 hours or less). My oldest sister's first was 24 hours, so for me I figured it could go either way.
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There are now words to describe the joy that I was filled with that moment my sweet baby boy was laid on my tummy, screaming to the world that he had arrived.
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
For me I need to be up and moving when in pain. Getting up and walking around, swaying here and there while breathing helped a lot. It also helped for me to be sitting on the toilet and bracing my hands on the counter and the tub next to it.
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What position did you end up delivering in?
On my back. I did a lot of my pushing on all fours but then flipped over and delivered while laying on my back.
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
There are now words to describe the joy that I was filled with that moment my sweet baby boy was laid on my tummy, screaming to the world that he had arrived.
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What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
Try going into the birth with a positive attitude and know that not everything will go as planned.
When I was first asked about my birth plan I hesitated a little- my plan was to have my baby. I didn't know that most women have extravagant ideas as to how their labor and delivery would go.
Yes, I didn't want drugs, I didn't want a c-section, I didn't want to go to the hospital, I wanted to labor as much at home, I didn't want to tear, and I wanted to stay at the birth center for a few hours doing skin to skin. But again I was open to what ever happens happens.
After having my baby I had a 3rd degree tear that I had to go get stitched up at the hospital right away. I only got maybe 45mins of skin to skin time right after birth. At the hospital I had to basically get an epidural to numb me for the stitches, I had to stay at the hospital for about 6 hours before being discharged.
At least I got to do skin to skin while in my room!
