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When did you realize you were really in labor?
About 2:00 am on Tuesday morning. I started having contractions at 7:00 pm on Monday evening, but thought they were Braxton Hicks and would just go away after a while, well, they only got more organized and more intense until I thought, well, this I think is actually it.
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
The pain, I was not afraid of it before the birth, because I didn't really know what to expect. During the birth, I definitely could understand why people use pain medication. I thought that only briefly though because the really intense stuff didn't last that long, and I only started experiencing pain I thought I couldn't handle right before he was born.
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
Did prenatal yoga which kept my body in decent shape and helped me to learn labor poses and breathing techniques. These techniques helped me to be calm through early labor and rested for the hard part. Also, finding the right birthing team. My midwives, doula and husband were exceptional. I truly think that my son's birth was as amazing as it was because of these wonderful people!
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What surprised you about your birth?
That is really does hurt a lot! Nothing that can't be handled and moved through, but I have never felt pain like the ring of fire before!
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Believe in yourself first, and find a birthing team that believes in you as well. Having a natural birth was the hardest and most painful thing that I have ever done, I won't lie, but, I knew that my body was capable of doing it.
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
Birth pool was absolutely amazing!!!!
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What position did you end up delivering in?
On my hands and knees.
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
I have never felt anything so wonderful in my entire life! It is a complete flood of the best emotions, I felt relieved, and happy and at peace.
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What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
Believe in yourself first, and find a birthing team that believes in you as well. Having a natural birth was the hardest and most painful thing that I have ever done, I won't lie, but, I knew that my body was capable of doing it. I had a wonderful support team who never doubted me, and never let me doubt myself. Because of that, my baby was born the way I wanted him to be born.
