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When did you realize you were really in labor?
I thought I would never go into labor. I was 40 weeks and 5 days and hadn't had any of the telltale signs. Maybe I started losing my mucus plug? Perhaps those were Braxton Hicks contractions? As hard as it was, I trusted that my body would tell me when she was ready. And then one evening I started getting lower back pain. I went to bed and was able to sleep through the night. When I woke up in the morning, I noticed the pain was still there. When I got out of bed and started moving around co tractions came on, and they came on quick! Labor was starting!
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
I had the most incredible experience! But there was a moment, not long before my water broke, when I had been contracting for hours and was having pretty extreme back labor pains when the thought "I can't do this anymore" crossed my mind. My husband says he felt totally helpless too, he wanted to take the pain away. The good thing is that I switched positions and my water broke and I could start pushing. So, that moment I felt like I could no longer do it was the turning point and my baby was born not long after!
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
Read happy natural childbirth stories and talked to mamas who had natural childbirths! We need to support and encourage one another because it's the most incredible thing that we have the honor of experiencing!
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What surprised you about your birth?
How relaxing the birth center experience was. I never imagined using "relaxing" when describing labor but being somewhere with the lights low, music playing lightly, flame less candles, not being hooked up to any machines plus an extremely supportive birth team made it a relaxing experience.
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You absolutely can do it! And you will feel so proud of yourself afterwards- you are a superwoman!!
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
Changing positions when the one I was in stopped serving me. My favorite position for the beginning of labor was leaning/slow dancing on my husband and later in labor was squatting. Then I pushed and gave birth on the bed holding my own legs into myself with every push. I also think the dim lights and light music helped immensely.
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What position did you end up delivering in?
I was laying on the bed on my back and every time I felt a contraction I grabbed my legs under the knees and pulled them toward me while pushing with all my energy.
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
Words cannot describe. She was put on my skin immediately and nursed almost right away. It all felt so natural. I started talking to her and bonding with her from the second she came out. My husband was able to get in bed with us as well and bond. We opted for delayed cord clamping so after I delivered the placenta my husband cut the cord and we payed in bed all together for an hour.
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What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
You absolutely can do it! And you will feel so proud of yourself afterwards- you are a superwoman!!
