Believing in Herself and in Her Midwives Helped Ashlee During Her Home Birth

When did you realize you were really in labor?

I woke up at 6:00 a.m., 3 days after my due date, to a contraction that was different than the Braxton Hicks I had been having.I knew this would be the day, mother's intuition I guess. I didn't want to jump the gun and wake everyone up encase we were in for a long labor, so I laid awake next to my 20 month old and husband and watched them sleep. When my husband woke up I told him that I though this was the day and what had been happening, we proceeded to prep for the day. Around 10:00 a.m. I had a hard time attending to my toddler. I wanted to focus solely on labor, and not be slowed down by trying to mother my son, so we had the babysitter come get him. It is was then that I knew the baby would arrive in a few hours.

What was the most challenging thing about going natural?

My thoughts and fears. Labor is LABOR! It is like running a marathon. It is hard and challenging and your know you are going to make it to the finish line, but there are those fleeting moments of doubt that make your momentum stumble. My doula and my husband know me so well and they could see it and they grabbed my hands and got me back in line.

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

I believed in myself and my midwives. I saw a chiropractor during my last trimester. She used the Webster method on me and I feel like that really helped line my body up for labor and got baby into the LOA position. I used spinningbabies.org to further understand how fetal positioning could help with ease of labor.
I am a biologist and I watched a lot of videos about the woman's anatomy and how babies come out of the uterus. I knew my body was made to do this and I told myself so, especially near the end when it was hard.

What surprised you about your birth?

I made a playlist and had friends give me inspiring music to play during labor, apparently it was on the whole time and I have NO memory of it! When I was in active labor I was in the place where everything was blocked out and all I could focus on was me and the baby coming out. We had a photographer taking photos and video and I never knew she was there when things got going! You go into this very basic and instinctual place during labor, its beautiful!

Prepare your self for battle! Be a birth warrior! Gather your weapons; healthy diet, exercise, chiropractic work, etc. and discuss your strategy with your other warriors (your birth team)! You can do this and you will do this!

What pain relief strategies worked best?

My doula and husband applied pressure to various parts of my back. We also used hot and cold towels to help me relax. Birthing in a tub was amazing! The water helped relieve a lot of pressure all over my body, and I could easily switch positions as I felt the need.

What position did you end up delivering in?

I was on my knees in the tub, holding onto my doula's hand over the edge (as water was spilling everywhere!) while my husband held me up from behind.

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

I burst into laughter and tears as soon as she was in my arms! I was crying and laughing, all with joy (and relief!).We did not find out the sex during pregnancy, and I was so elated to be done laboring that we didn't look to see what the sex was for over 5 minutes after her arrival!

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

Prepare your self for battle! Be a birth warrior! Gather your weapons; healthy diet, exercise, chiropractic work, etc. and discuss your strategy with your other warriors (your birth team)! You can do this and you will do this!
Also, make sure you choose a care provider that listens to you and asks for your permission on things. Knowing you are respected in that way and that things happen on your terms is very important emotionally and for the postpartum experience.