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When did you realize you were really in labor?
Around 8am the morning after my "real" contractions started. They were very sporadic and I had been having prodromal labor contractions for a few weeks prior so we wanted to be certain before heading to the birth center.
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
Baby girl was face up, plus my cervix was not keeping up with the rest of my body, so laboring on hands and knees and then pushing baby through a partially closed cervix was intense!
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
Preparing mentally, emotionally and physically for labor with natural therapies like water and essential oils
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What surprised you about your birth?
Even though this was baby number three for this Mama, it was my longest most intense labor! First baby was about eleven hours, second was only about six and this baby took a whopping twenty-six hours!
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Stick with it! It's the very worst when you start to think you need some sort of pain relief, then comes pushing and then bam!! you can meet your bundle!!
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
Essential oils topically, internally and aromatically along with reverse pressure and massage during labor and all of the above plus alternating ice and heat in certain areas.
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What position did you end up delivering in?
After laboring on hands and knees trying to get baby to turn for over 4 hours, then in the tub shortly, I ended up delivering sitting/laying on my back in the delivery bed
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
I laugh now because since this was my most intense labor and delivery, I cried tears of happiness that she was finally OUT instead of tears of happiness to meet her :) even though I was obviously ecstatic!
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What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
Stick with it! It's the very worst when you start to think you need some sort of pain relief, then comes pushing and then bam!! you can meet your bundle!!
