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When did you realize you were really in labor?
I'd had prodromal labor contractions for 8 days straight. So when my water broke I knew it was finally game time!
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
Due to extenuating circumstances, (we found out 2 weeks prior of my high risk status during labor and post partum due to existing heart conditions, going from a birth center to a hospital, and their attempt to have me jet alighted to a bigger hospital WHILE in labor, heart pvc's making it difficult to relax and my husband not being able to be present for all of my labor) needless to say i had a lot of other serious concerns and distractions and it was very hard to focus and concentrate on just relaxing and breathing and looking forward to my prize. I did it, but needed A LOT of reminders! I know my pain level would have been far less had things been different! But we did it anyways! I'm healthy and so is he!
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
Taking care of myself, birthing classes online and through birthing center, eating right, prenatal yoga, chiropractic, massage, red raspberry leaf tea and eating dates!
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What surprised you about your birth?
How short it was and how big he was! I was 40+4 and labored less than 8 hours, had him naturally and he weighed 8 and 10oz.
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My husband was EXACTLY the calming and encouraging person I needed.
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
I didn't get a lot of choices as I had to be under constant monitoring due to my own congenital heart defect situation. I had planned things very differently though! Mainly I just had breathing and my support team to rely on. I will say when my husband and I were the only ones (no family or midwife, etc) aside from staff for a small portion of my labor it was the best part of my labor. My husband was EXACTLY the calming and encouraging person I needed and pain management was at it's best when it was just the two of us laboring.
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What position did you end up delivering in?
Traditional on my back on a hard cot. I never even ended up in a real labor and delivery bed. I tried to squat some of the time because it felt right, but the nurse didn't want me to...
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
I was still in a lot of pain, they had done an episiotomy and we're still numbing the area for stitches and I had a lot of cramping still. So it took awhile to be able to enjoy and experience my baby boy coherently. But I did get to hold him skin to skin immediately and he latched perfectly the first try for breast feeding! I chose our first family photo to share as there isn't any of us together or of me and him prior to coming home from the hospital. We were actually on different floors of the hospital and couldn't room together. Being separated from my son so soon was very hard.
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How did the Mama Natural Birth Class help you in your childbirth?
It really educated me a lot on all scenarios possible and how to make the best choices regardless of how things end up going. I have no regrets, my husband was a wonderful support to me and had to make some really hard decisions and my trust in my husband and our faith in God grew a lot through the birth of our son!
