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When did you realize you were really in labor?
When I woke up with a little blood on my panties and contractions, I thought, "This is different than anything I've felt so far." Then I went to my regularly scheduled appointment with my midwife that Thursday morning, and she said she'd probably see me at the hospital over the weekend. I continued to have contractions that intensified throughout the day, and I knew she was right!
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
I knew dealing with my own thoughts would be the most challenging. I am a planner and had to remind myself EVERY day (or even every minute at times) that my husband and I prepared well; however, how this played out was not ultimately up to me. My goal was to continue being focused but also go with the flow to birth a healthy baby.
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birthing-pool
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
The Mama Natural Birth Course helped prepare us, as well as prayer, listening to and saying affirmations before and during labor, drinking red raspberry leaf tea, and reading Ina May Gaskin's books. I also prayed, carefully chose who I shared our desire for a natural birth with, and stayed off social media and Google when I was anxious about anything pregnancy-related. My friends laughed when I told them I wanted a peaceful birth, but these actions led up to exactly that; it was challenging and painful but peaceful, too.
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What surprised you about your birth?
At the hospital, our birth plan was followed EXACTLY as written, and we didn't have to defend our reasons for our decisions. Also, I had the support of my husband, doula, and midwife, but I blocked everything out and focused, finding strength to do what needed to be done.
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It was invaluable! We learned about empowering ourselves to make this the best experience we could. So many women believe they don't have any choices, but this prepared us to ask the right questions and make the best choices for us and our baby. I recommend it to everyone who is looking for a birth course.
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
I labored in the birth pool and the shower, but my husband squeezing my hips helped the most with back labor. We laughed when he had sore muscles the next day!
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What position did you end up delivering in?
After the shower, the tub, walking the halls, and using the birthing ball, I ended up delivering in the bed after about a hour of pushing. Baby had turned (OP,) and a lip of my cervix was swollen, but my midwife knew just what to do and worked with my contractions to move it. We talked about trying the tub again, but it slowed labor down down the first time, and I was ready for birth.
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
I was exhausted but had such energy and emotion when I held her. She was beautiful and so little, and I kept thinking, "We DID this!"
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How did the Mama Natural Birth Class help you in your childbirth?
It was invaluable! We learned about empowering ourselves to make this the best experience we could. So many women believe they don't have any choices, but this prepared us to ask the right questions and make the best choices for us and our baby. I recommend it to everyone who is looking for a birth course.
