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When did you realize you were really in labor?
I went into labor watching La La Land at the movie theater. My contractions picked up quickly and within a few hours (in the middle of the night), they were already just a few minutes apart.
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
Even though I've attended a handful of other women's births, I did not expect labor to be so long or so intense. I never once considered that we would have to transfer to the hospital for pain management or more resources (truly I was thinking the whole time "Gee, this isn't working; I guess I'll just have to stay pregnant forever). I guess I was fully committed to the idea of home birth! I think I was surprised that the sensations I had didn't match up with what I had heard or imagined contractions felt like. The amazing thing is that at a certain point, you start to feel like you're being forced by your own body to run a marathon you haven't really trained for. No matter how badly you want to sit down on the side of the race and take a break, you're body is going to keep going without you.
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
I was planning for a homebirth, but I also knew all the options, including being prepared for an outcome of a hospital birth and even a caesarean birth. I was so confident in my midwife and myself to make the right decisions as needed, so I knew however it worked out, that would be the right birth for me. I think being open minded was the best preparation I could have done.
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What surprised you about your birth?
It was just so long! I pushed for over 6 hours - that's something I never expected at all. I was so exhausted. But it's incredible how quickly after the labor ended that I suddenly switched from an out-of-body, exhausted stranger to myself again as soon as my son was born. I didn't know if I was having a son or daughter, but as soon as the birth was over, it seemed so natural that I had a son and this was our new family.
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You definitely can do it. In fact, your body can do it whether you want to go along or not! Keep your mind open about what labor should feel like, how you should act, and how the birth will go. You will surprise yourself with what you can accomplish.
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
Truly, nothing worked the way I thought it might. There were a few times when I felt like I was "losing it" - I was having trouble controlling my breath and staying in my body. But I had an amazing birth team who tried their best to distract me and make me change positions and locations often, despite my frequent protests!
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What position did you end up delivering in?
I gave birth in my living room on a wooden birth stool that my midwife brought. I HATED that birth stool - it really made me feel like my legs were being physically removed from my torso from my hip joints. But in the end, it was the only way I could make myself push and bring the baby out.
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
In some ways it was totally nuts and hard to comprehend, but I also had the feeling that he was exactly who I was expecting, even though I didn't even know if he was a boy or girl until he arrived. I loved seeing my husband's reaction in those first few seconds - he burst into tears. I think he was relieved to know that labor was over and we could all go to sleep as a family of 3.
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What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
You definitely can do it. In fact, your body can do it whether you want to go along or not! Keep your mind open about what labor should feel like, how you should act, and how the birth will go. You will surprise yourself with what you can accomplish.
