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When did you realize you were really in labor?
When I woke around midnight unable to sleep through the contractions
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
For me it wasn't really a challenge, it was just the only option in my mind. I'm pretty stubborn, once I set my mind to something I am committed. I also feel like I have a lot of great information on the topic, and you can't unlearn things. Knowledge and application are truly powerful. However, I've had two births now and there were periods during the both of them that if somebody would've offered me painkillers I would've had a hard time saying no!
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
I really tried to apply the four pillars of Birthfit, fitness, nutrition, chiropractic, mindset...and it was the four of those combined I think that truly did it. However I am a huge advocate for meditation and breath. Both of those were key players in my labor.
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What surprised you about your birth?
Well initially, everything was just so incredibly fast and intense, especially in comparison to my first birth. And then at the end, we had an unforeseen complication with heart rate deceleration. It was amazing (after the fact) to know that even with having a midwife and a home birth meant they were just as well equipped to handle this situation as it would've happened at the hospital.
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Ultimately to not use pregnancy as an excuse to sit around and eat for two for 40 weeks. I honestly can't speak enough about the four pillars of Birthfit I mentioned. Mindset and diaphragmatic breath helped me through labor.
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
A hot bath helped at one point, some compressions on my hips that my Doula did helped a lot… Ultimately it was just deep diaphragmatic breathing and allowing myself to get lost in "labor land" that helped me the most. Changing positions as needed was also a key player for me.
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What position did you end up delivering in?
I honestly don't remember. Everything was kind of crazy at the end of this birth and I had to move a lot during the pushing stage. I think I was on my back, but I also remember being on all fours and looking over at my baby, so one of those two…
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
It was amazing, especially given the intensity at the end. I was able to put my hand on his little butt and feel the confirmation of my intuition, that I was having a boy. We hadn't found out :-) I remember this feeling of just KNOWING him already. I also remember looking over at him before I got to hold him and feeling my heart just grow, like he grew his own special place in my heart right then.
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What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
Ultimately to not use pregnancy as an excuse to sit around and eat for two for 40 weeks. I honestly can't speak enough about the four pillars of Birthfit I mentioned. Mindset and diaphragmatic breath helped me through labor. I ate really well and only gained around 20lbs and baby was pretty average at 7lbs 8oz. I received regular adjustments in order to keep my pelvis and hips ready for the birth. I love to exercise and love to squat. And this ended up being a huge player in the end when I had to push him out very quickly. I was fortunately strong enough to do this during a critical situation.
