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When did you realize you were really in labor?
At 7:15 am on the day he was born I went to the bathroom and saw some pink bloody show. 15 minutes later contractions started and they were very regular from the very first one! I was sure I was in labor after just a few, light contractions.
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
Honestly, the most challenging part was when contractions were getting more intense and my husband was taking too long to coax our dog outside to go pee before we left for the birth center! That time felt like it took forever since I was listening to him say "C'mon, let's go outside" over and over!
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
I am a doula so all of the research and birth work I've done over the past 3 years made me feel very prepared. Another important thing is belief in the animal, spiritual, naturalness of birth and complete confidence in my body's ability to open!
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What surprised you about your birth?
I was surprised by how fast the time flew by (16 hours felt way faster than that!) and by my complete commitment to going natural and welcoming the pain. That felt like the only reality at the time and I didn't imagine that labor should, could, or would be any other way in the moment.
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Accept the pain. Lean into it. Welcome it and invite it in. Literally. Ask it to come to you more during each contraction, because the feelings only bring you closer to opening up and meeting your baby. Hoping to avoid pain makes you tense and the pain becomes worse and less manageable.
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
I imagined my body opening up and I spoke to the pain and welcomed it more during each contraction. Inviting the pain made the fear of pain disappear. I also relied heavily on a rhythmic singing/chanting once I got to 8 cm. It was a surprise to me that the singing was my most important coping technique. Without it, I would have lost the feeling of being centered!
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What position did you end up delivering in?
My hands were on the headboard of the bed and my knees were on the mattress. It was a hands-and-knees position.
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
Confusing and unreal. The experience didn't seem real, and not in a magical, unbelievable way. Rather in a I-can't-process-this-because-it's-too-crazy way!
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What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
Accept the pain. Lean into it. Welcome it and invite it in. Literally. Ask it to come to you more during each contraction, because the feelings only bring you closer to opening up and meeting your baby. Hoping to avoid pain makes you tense and the pain becomes worse and less manageable.
