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When did you realize you were really in labor?
I didn't! I was induced the day after my due date after a routine doctor's appointment revealed my amniotic fluid was too low. Once I was hooked up to all of the machines, a nurse said to me "Wow! You're having really strong contractions about 2 minutes apart!" but I had no idea that's what I was feeling. I just thought it was the way the baby was moving with less room since they weren't at all painful at that point.
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
It was the swift changes and inability to find ways to tolerate the pain. I dilated very, very quickly - from 4 to 10 cm in about 30 minutes! - so my body didn't have a chance to adjust properly and the pain was excruciating. I didn't anticipate that. I had planned to labor naturally using various breathing and positioning techniques but wasn't able to utilize any of those because everything happened so quickly and the pain was intolerable!
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
To be honest, most of the prep work I did ahead of time, both with my doula and through research of my own, weren't applicable in my situation as my labor did not progress "normally". I had planned on starting at home, anticipating what I would use for support and other things I could try (walking, napping, showering, etc) but that was all scraped when I was induced at the hospital. The best thing I learned in my preparation was to prepare for the unexpected - which is exactly what we got! And that labor looks different for all women so just to listen to my body as much as possible. That helped me work through the pain without the ability to utilize a true plan.
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What surprised you about your birth?
That even though the pain was horrendous, I managed to get through it! I feel lucky that my labor was quick because I don't know how much longer I could have endured that kind of pain, but I persisted and birthed my daughter naturally. I was also surprised at how quickly I was able to "forget" just how hard it was. As soon as they laid my daughter on my chest, it felt like a distant memory and I would have done it all again for that moment alone!
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The best thing I learned in my preparation was to prepare for the unexpected - which is exactly what we got! And that labor looks different for all women so just to listen to my body as much as possible. That helped me work through the pain without the ability to utilize a true plan.
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
Breathing! It was the only thing that worked for me. My husband also helped with his undivided support and unconditional love. He gently reminded me how far we'd come to have this baby and encouraged me to continue when I didn't think i could.
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What position did you end up delivering in?
Laying on my back.
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
Words can't describe it! We went through 5+ years of infertility treatments but when she arrived, I couldn't remember any of that time. It was hard to believe the little creature we'd been admiring in ultrasound pictures for months and months was here, in person, so teeny tiny and... all ours!
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What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
Trust yourself! You know your own body better than anyone and what you are capable of doing with it. Pregnancy is taxing on the body in so many ways, and labor is essentially an extension of that. The pain is real and will often be so unbearable you'll think you can't go on - but laboring unmedicated will allow you to feel every step of it in the best way so you can have some control over how your baby is born. You can get through labor naturally and you will be SO proud of yourself when you do!
