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When did you realize you were really in labor?
My first delivery was pretty fast; my water broke spontaneously & contractions started shortly after that. My first child arrived less than 5 hours after my water broke.
My second child came even quicker. I thought my water had broken, but after a trip to the hospital, I found out that it had not. I was sent home & spent the day as normal; I was having mild contractions off & on all day, but they weren't regular in timing or in length. I had been advised to come back when the contractions hit the 5-1-1 mark, which they never did. They did start to intensify & come more quickly later in the day (early evening). I decided to sit on the balance ball I had, as it made my back feel better & helped me to bounce/breathe through the contractions as they came. I later moved on to cat/cow yoga poses & it was during the yoga that my water broke. At that point, I knew I was in active labor.
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
Maybe knowing what to expect the second time around? With my first, I wanted to go natural, but then thought about reconsidering that decision after a very intense contraction; turns out I had just made it through transition & the "hard" part was over.
I had no choice with my second; we left as soon as my water had broken, but had a longer drive (25-30 min) to the hospital. My contractions were fast & strong once my water broke & I had the baby shortly after making it to the hospital. There was no chance for me to consider anything but a natural birth!
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
For my first, I did prenatal yoga almost weekly & I read Ina May's Guide to Childbirth, which I found helpful and informative. With my second, I did some prenatal yoga at the beginning of the pregnancy, but wasn't able to make as many classes toward the end of the second trimester & had stopped going in my third trimester (I wanted to, but it was difficult to fit into my schedule, what with a toddler & family responsibilities. We're also in the process of building a house, so my husband was/is busy many weekends, which is when the yoga classes are). I also reread Ina May's book.
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What surprised you about your birth?
How quickly my second child arrived - 54 minutes from when my water broke to when he made his appearance. I was also much more alert after my second delivery & the recovery time was much shorter.
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Don't let anyone or anything discourage you. You are in control of your own body and it know exactly what to do. I switched medical providers with my first pregnancy so that I could give birth with a midwife.
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
Breathing through the contractions, yoga poses, & sitting on the balance ball.
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What position did you end up delivering in?
I was on my back on the bed, but I could have given birth squatting (he almost came that way).
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
It's always amazing & incredible. You're spent from the exertion of the labor and pushing & then they put this little miracle on your chest. He looks at you & knows you & your mama bear protective instinct just kicks in!
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What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
Don't let anyone or anything discourage you. You are in control of your own body and it know exactly what to do. I switched medical providers with my first pregnancy so that I could give birth with a midwife. Both the midwife & the L&D nurses were incredibly supportive and eve said they were there to support and facilitate ME. I had incredibly fast labors, but I know they would have done what they could to allow me to have the birth I wanted/envisioned. Both of my birth experiences were positive & I love to share my stories.
