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When did you realize you were really in labor?
I realized I was really in labor after about 8 hours of super mild contractions. They weren't going away and they very slowly got stronger.
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
The most challenging thing about going without medication was probably just the mental state of knowing this would be the worst pain I may ever go through and knowing I chose to feel every bit of it.
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
Hired a Doula! I had wonderful support from my husband and my midwife was incredible, but my Doula watched out for me and my emotions as a first priority. She helped me labor at home for as long as possible and she completed my team.
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What surprised you about your birth?
I was surprised that active labor lasted so long. When I got to the hospital and heard I was already 8 cm, I thought I was just an hour or two away from delivering. Not the case unfortunately. Six hours went by and three of those I was pushing. I was surprised I never felt the urge to push either.
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I never felt so powerful and weak at the same time. Your oxytocin in birthing is at its highest when the baby is delivered and I felt every ounce of it. I was so incredibly happy and proud of myself.
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
Moaning. I felt so silly making audible noise while in labor, but that helped tremendously. When my jaw relaxed, my whole body relaxed. We also made a playlist and brought a portable speaker, that helped get my mind into a soothing mood as well. My midwife also massaged my back while I stood leaned over the bed which felt awesome.
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What position did you end up delivering in?
I was on my back on the bed when I delivered. This was the last place I had planned to be. But it was exactly where I needed to be. I tried pushing in the tub, pushing while squating, and being on all fours.
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
I never felt so powerful and weak at the same time. Your oxytocin in birthing is at its highest when the baby is delivered and I felt every ounce of it. I was so incredibly happy and proud of myself. Holding Juniper for the first time was a prize after the most difficult marathon.
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What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
You can do it! At 27, I still cry when I hit my head on the door or stub my toe. I am a wimp when it comes to pain. When I decided to have an unmediated birth, the epidural seemed much closer than I wanted it to be, knowing my opposition to pain was so close. I even cried the first time I had my blood drawn at the midwives' office...rough start to say the least.
The further I went into my pregnancy, the more in love I fell with birth stories. Hearing how the female body can go through incredible "trauma" and birth a human being without intervention from medicine was the most inspiring thing I had ever read about. My nights consisted of reading positive birth stories, and my days were filled with lots of walking to get baby in the right position. I listened to the Birthful Podcast and read up on hypnobirthing as I prepared for a positive birth experience in a hospital.
Also, hire a Doula! It's worth the money. Week 37 brought some unease. I wasn't sure how 25+ hours of labor was going to come without the need of intervention. Could positive thinking and release of mass amounts of oxytocin and endorphins really get me through this thing? I loved all of my interactions with my midwives, but knowing I was in a hospital with an epidural at my fingertips, made me second guess the trust I had placed on myself...
Enter Doula Jessica. We hired Jessica at Sacred Birth Services just two weeks before my due date. I finally felt like I had a dream team on my side. Jessica walked my husband and I through what our options were at a hospital birth and let me know I could refuse an IV. No needles?! Um, yes! I knew there would be risk with the refusal, but I added it to my birth plan along with several other options I didn't know I had. With Jessica on our side, I felt prepared to labor at home as long as I could before going into the hospital.
