Eating Whole Foods And Drinking Herbal Pregnancy Tea Helped Janelle Achieve Home Birth

When did you realize you were really in labor?

Ha! Because labor began 12 days before our "due" date (I was expecting to go past the EDD again, as I did with our first) and my waters didn't break or even leak until I was actively pushing, I was in some sort of denial nearly all the way to transition. Early on, it took several hours to admit that the contractions I was experiencing MIGHT be the real deal, and then a few more hours to admit that they were! At that point I was already fully in the rhythm of labor and simply continued following my body's prompts. The result was a completely undisturbed home birth, with the midwife and my military husband both arriving after I'd calmly and capably delivered baby myself (my four-year-old was playing Legos in his room next to mine, so I'm counting it as truly "undisturbed".)

What was the most challenging thing about going natural?

A truly undisturbed birth in a safe, peaceful environment is the most natural thing in the world, so in that regard it's hard to really pinpoint any challenging aspects. Labor and birth may be challenging in the sense that they are an obviously intense experience, physically, emotionally, and spiritually, but intensity isn't inherently negative and there was never any doubt in my mind that my body and baby's were made to do this, could do this, and were doing this-- and doing it well. (Laboring by myself, there was a moment where I attempted a hip squeeze and thought it would be lovely to have a second set of hands capable of applying counter pressure... Or making my firstborn a sandwich when he asked for one. Or helping him clean up after using the bathroom.) The most challenging aspect for me overall was trying to gently and clearly explain the case for undisturbed home birth to those who didn't understand. :)

What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?

This time around, my personal preparation mainly consisted of the usual pregnancy activities: eating whole foods and drinking herbal pregnancy tea (red raspberry leaf, alfalfa, nettle, oatstraw), staying active (walking and yoga are my pregnancy 'go-to's), putting together the birth kit (cold pack peri pads and herbal sitz baths are two favorite inclusions), pulling out and sorting through baby items, cleaning the house thoroughly, stocking the pantry, freezer, and refrigerator with ingredients for simple, nourishing postpartum meals (bone broth for life, amirite?), and reading birth stories from Ina May Gaskin's Guide to Natural Childbirth. I also read Birth Matters and The First Forty Days mainly to expand my reading repertoire as a doula, but unsurprisingly found both personally beneficial also. My highly inquisitive four-year-old asked all of the relevant (and irrelevant) questions concerning the baby and impending birth process throughout my pregnancy, and I consistently engaged his curiosity directly and honestly, explaining all of the amazing functions and processes simply and completely in my ongoing efforts to assure that he learns about birth as an inherently normal, natural human experience. (Because it is.) Towards the end of my pregnancy, we watched home birth videos together (mostly via YouTube and Vimeo, with my current top favorite from Indie Birth), and discussed those as well. Because it ended up being just him and me throughout labor and the birth, I found it particularly helpful that I had taken the time to prepare him as well. (Bonus: he now draws pictures of creatures and people and inanimate objects with placentas, umbilical cords, and babies in utero, and explains the natural birth process to strangers in the grocery store. #winning)

What surprised you about your birth?

As referenced earlier, I was a bit taken aback by how early labor began in relation to the estimated due date (though it certainly wasn't shockingly early and baby was full-term). As a doula and interested human I'm familiar with the statistics and had gone past our EDD with my first, so I was mentally prepared to give birth the week following and was thrown for a loop when she came over a week before. It ended up being a practical surprise to give birth alone as well, but in the very best sense-- it was an incredibly special experience and one I'll truly cherish forever. I'm convinced that free birth is as natural and "right" as it gets (when wisely approached, well-researched, and appropriately prepared for), and I'm grateful that though unanticipated, "free" was indeed the process through which I brought my daughter from the womb to the world. It felt completely right and I wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

Know that your biggest potential obstacle to the birth experience you desire will be yourself, and so you can become your greatest ally. You CAN do this, mama. And it is so worth it!

What pain relief strategies worked best?

Breathing deeply throughout contractions (in through the nose and out through the mouth) and focusing on each breath seems instinctive to me and helps me feel like I'm working with my body instead of being overwhelmed by the intensity of contractions. Heat has been my primary method of safe, reliable general pain relief for years, and I was in and out of the bathtub a few times before transition, taking advantage of the soothing properties of hot water. In the tub, I moved from side to side as it felt most comfortable, slowly swaying my hips through the (not-too-)hot water with each contraction, my arms and upper body propped on a towel on the edge of the tub so I could rest my head and close my eyes. Left with few options in the counter pressure department, I found myself squeezing my own hips with both hands during a few intense contractions, and thinking it just didn't feel the same as having someone else apply counter pressure. I moved around and changed position quite a bit throughout the process as it felt right, mostly leaning forward and resting my hands on our mattress, feet on the floor, swaying and swinging my hips side-to-side during contractions in a manner I might not have felt so free to engage in had anyone else been present. (Movement during contractions feels both natural and productive to me, and I tend to move freely as my body prompts.) At one point my precious four-year-old came in to tell or ask me something in the middle of a contraction, and when I found that the extended gentle "shhhhh" I breathed in response seemed to help me focus, I did it again during the next contraction. Just before I felt the urge to push, I found a song I wanted to hear on YouTube and played it on repeat until I started pushing.

What position did you end up delivering in?

In an effort to buy the midwife some time, I was laying on our bed on my side (a position that feels unproductive for me) and listening to music when I felt the urge to push. I had propped up on my arms and was preparing to set myself up to push in a squatting position when the midwife suggested blowing through contractions to resist pushing until she arrived (she was enroute), and in an effort to accommodate her desire to be present, I held off pushing that way for several contractions before abandoning the idea and my body to instinct. At that point baby was crowning, and as I was certain that I didn't have time to change positions, I stayed on my side with my upper body propped on an arm and my top leg raised to give me visual and manual access to baby. She was born with about three more pushes, and I caught her while moving to sit up.

How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?

As soon as she was born, vocal and clearly healthy, I had the opportunity to quickly take stock of the situation (and check her sex!) and called my firstborn in to meet his baby sister. Undeterred by the sights and smells of birth, he exclaimed how "CUTE" she was, and we talked together about the birth process as we got acquainted with our baby. With the freedom of our home environment and the feeling that we now had all of the time in the world, we examined her and exclaimed over her and reassured her strong cries, and eventually I brought her to my chest. It felt surprising and a little surreal that she was here so soon before we'd expected her, and once again I was amazed and so grateful to have been an intimate part of the miracle that is birth and new life. I've expected to shed tears at both of my children's births but have cried at neither, driven instead of tearful emotion by what feels like a mixture of practical movement and primal instinct. Natural birth is a profoundly empowering experience, and to have walked through the process, just her and me (and brother across the hall) was especially so.

What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?

You can do it! Read all of the books and blog posts supporting and encouraging natural birth (anything by Ina May Gaskin), listen to the TED Talks and podcasts, watch the birth videos. Reach out to a "birthy" friend or local natural childbirth professional (doulas are great!) for practical, evidence-based information and all of the resources you could possibly need to ensure that you have the birth experience you truly desire. Research thoroughly. Question everything you know and have been told/are being told (outright or inadvertently) about birth and your own body. Recognize that your birth belongs to you and your baby, that you have all of the tools you need already within you, that your own body and baby's are designed to function properly and well throughout every step of the natural birth process. Remember that generations of women have walked this very same journey for millennia and are the physical proof that birth works, that you are fully capable, you are not alone, and that you can walk confidently in your own birth journey. Don't let anyone cause you to feel shame or fear or incompetence or irresponsibility for your natural birth choices. (It's okay to let people know you don't need to hear any negativity or horror stories...) Write down the reasons why you are pursuing a natural birth and place it somewhere you can see it and be (re)inspired regularly if you feel you need the reminder. Connect with a community of grounded natural mamas who will support you in any way you may need support throughout your pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. Know that your biggest potential obstacle to the birth experience you desire will be yourself, and so you can become your greatest ally. You CAN do this, mama. And it is so worth it!