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When did you realize you were really in labor?
I had contractions on and off for 2 days but when I really realized that it was real labor was at 10 p.m. the night before he was born.
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
The most challenging thing for me was not giving in to medication once my water broke. My water broke at 7 cm and I was stuck there for 3 hours. Having my husband there to help me was exactly what I needed!
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
I would say the most helpful thing for me was my birth ball. I think it really helped to stretch my pelvis and get the baby further down so during labor I didn't have to do all that. I rolled on that ball for a good week before I went into labor!
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What surprised you about your birth?
The biggest surprise for me was pushing. I had no idea that pushing could take so long! I pushed for an hour and a half! I always thought that it was push push push and then the baby was out. Boy was I wrong!
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Breathe can help with fighting through the pain of each contraction.
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
Breathing! My mother-in-law was a huge help to me in showing me how to breathe properly. She had 10 children naturally. She had me focus on something on the wall and to breathe through it. Thankfully right across from me on a marker board the nurse had filled in all the information for my room and my husband's name was right in front of my eyes. So I was able to focus on his name and breathe through each contraction. That helped me tremendously!
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What position did you end up delivering in?
I delivered on my back with my legs up. It was actually pretty comfortable for me.
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
Holding my baby for the first time was a feeling that I cannot describe! I labored for 15 and a half hours so being able to touch him was absolutely incredible! Plus my Midwife let me pull him out so it was the best reward I could have ever had!
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What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
My best advice is learning how to breathe can help with fighting through the pain of each contraction. Also breathing during pushing is a big deal. Another piece of advice is making sure that you have a good Midwife that is going to honor your wishes. Having a complete medication free all natural labor was exactly what I wanted and my midwife honored every wish that I had.
