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When did you realize you were really in labor?
Around 2 am I woke up in pain - I tried to go back to sleep in case it was labor so I’d be rested. At 4 am I had to move to the bath for pain management and that’s when I knew it was the real deal.
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
For me the hardest part was hearing I was only 5 cm dilated while I was going into transition. I’d had a 43 hour labor with my first child, so I immediately assumed history was repeating itself. My contractions were 1-2 minutes apart and lasting 90 seconds or more for the entire 11 hour labor, so with my pain peaking (unbeknownst to me due to transition) and hearing that number, I wanted to give up.
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
Being kind to myself. My daughters birth was traumatic - she was malpositioned (posterior, or face up) which meant my contractions weren’t effectively dilating my cervix. So after 41 grueling hours, pitocin, and baby going into distress I finally agreed to an epidural. I had to forgive myself, and understand that some things are out our control - I had to make peace with my first labor outcome, so that I could begin to understand what happened, why, and how I could be better prepared this time.
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What surprised you about your birth?
How fast it ended up being! After the nurse told me I was a five, I had 3 more contractions standing up and all of a sudden he was about to come out! It was very exhilarating: I rushed to the bed and two pushes later my son was born!
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Be kind to yourself, believe in yourself and your body, and be grateful no matter how it turns out.
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
Being in the water and vocalizing felt the best until my water broke. After that, I used a birthing ball to counter the intense pressure, and having my husband apply pressure to my lower back.
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What position did you end up delivering in?
On my hands and knees - it felt very primal.
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
Euphoric, victorious; like all was right in the world. Because he was delivered behind me, they waited for the cord to stop pulsing and for my husband to cut it before I got him in my arms - I was screaming “give me my baby!” for the entire 2 minutes - it was like I didn’t even have a choice but to yell the words until I got him.
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What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
Be gentle to yourself. You can read all the books, watch all the birth videos and documentaries, take all the training in the world; however it goes is how it was meant to be, and the hard parts don’t stop once that little baby comes out. So be kind to yourself, believe in yourself and your body, and be grateful no matter how it turns out.
