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When did you realize you were really in labor?
The day before I had my son, I had been having mild, irregular contractions and just felt "off". The contractions started to get more regular as the day went on and by 8pm, I let my midwife know what was happening. My husband and I got our house fully set up for our home birth before heading to bed. Over the next few hours, my contractions got strong and changed from low, menstrual type pain into back labor. My midwife team got to our house around 2am and that's when things really kicked off.
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
My son turned posterior right before labor began, so my contractions were all in my back and incredibly intense. I had a hard labor with my daughter, but this one was so much worse. When he was born at 11lbs 2oz, we all knew why. My body had to work incredibly hard to get him down and out.
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
When I was pregnant with my daughter, I took a 12 week Bradley method course. I dug out the workbook and went through it again to refresh my memory on relaxation and coping techniques. I also read lots of positive home birth stories and visualized how it would feel to accomplish one.
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What surprised you about your birth?
His size! No one expected him to be so big. Larger babies tend to run in both our families, but he was definitely a record breaker! My daughter was 8lbs 3oz and my belly was about the same size both pregnancies.
I'm quite proud to have made it through a home birth with my huge baby :)
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Read plenty of positive birth stories and don't let negativity get you down. There are lots of naysayers out there who just aren't educated about what the female body is capable of. We are strong. Our bodies are designed for this.
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
Vocalizing and moving around. I had to rely on gravity for quite a bit of my laboring time. My body had a heck of a time trying to move my son down the birth canal and it needed all the help it could get.
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What position did you end up delivering in?
I started out on my back holding my legs while my midwife helped pull him out. Once his huge head was out, I flipped to my hands and knees so she could pull the rest of him out, roll by roll.
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
Indescribable. I couldn't believe how perfect and beautiful he was.
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What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
Read plenty of positive birth stories and don't let negativity get you down. There are lots of naysayers out there who just aren't educated about what the female body is capable of. We are strong. Our bodies are designed for this.
I had an 11 pound baby at home. It's possible :)
