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When did you realize you were really in labor?
When I woke up at 4:30 in the morning to go to the bathroom.
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
Not having having power for 9 hours due to a nasty Alaskan windstorm. My husband was able to fill our bathtub with just enough hot water (with the generator) for me to birth in. He had to boil several pots of water because it was so cold inside our house the water would cool down extremely fast.
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
Exercises to help get baby into the correct position. I also ate figs, Larabars, took evening primrose supplements and drank red raspberry leaf tea the last 6 weeks of my pregnancy.
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What surprised you about your birth?
Back labor. I didn't have it with my last water birth. The cord was short and wrapped around her neck, which made things a bit harder for me in the end.
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Always plan/prep for the worst case scenario because a surprise in your birth plan can really throw you off your game. None of my pregnancies/births have ever been the same out of the five I've experienced. My fourth labor was only an hour long and my fifth was three, so you just never know what's going to happen.
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
Pushing and trying to stay relaxed. I probably would have been more comfortable on my knees, but I was too cold to get up out of the water.
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What position did you end up delivering in?
Layed back in the bathtub, which was brutal on my back and tailbone and I was only in the tub for an hour.
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
Amazing! It was euphoria once she was in my arms.
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What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
Always plan/prep for the worst case scenario because a surprise in your birth plan can really throw you off your game. None of my pregnancies/births have ever been the same out of the five I've experienced. My fourth labor was only an hour long and my fifth was three, so you just never know what's going to happen.
