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When did you realize you were really in labor?
Our baby was breech, so despite all of our efforts, baby was comfortable in his position. We made the decision with our doula and doctor to wait until I went into labor to go into the hospital, although it was preferred by the doctor that we schedule earlier, she agreed to let me go into labor up to 41 weeks.
We went to our normal OB appointment on Monday morning and were all set to return on Thursday morning for the scheduled c-section, which would have been 41 weeks. No contractions at all on Monday morning, just belly tightness on and off, but nothing painful at all.
Around 1pm on Monday, I started feeling very mild menstrual cramp-type contractions. We went for a walk and I went about my day, just taking it easy. I was in denial that it could actually be labor, but curious because I hadn't felt anything like that the entire pregnancy! As the day went on, the contractions got stronger and more frequent and we checked in with our doula.
I was still in denial, and tried not to jump ahead and assume anything was happening for sure. By 6pm, I made dinner and they were growing in intensity and length. Between 7pm-8pm, contractions were coming every 2 mins and were lasting 30-45 sec each. Boy was that intense! I lost my mucous plug and also had some bloody show. My water broke at 8:45pm, and we went to the hospital, where I measured at 5-6 centimeters.
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
I let my body naturally go into labor and get into active labor before going in for what I knew would be a c section. It was surprising to me how fast and intense the contractions came on. The most challenging thing was moving through the pain and finding comfortable positions. Once I got to the hospital, I was not able to move and had to lie on my back, which felt like the worst position to be in!
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
My husband and I took a seven week childbirth class, which was incredibly helpful to us to prepare for the process. It helped to also build a support system for us to have each week. We also hired a doula since we knew we would be delivering at a hospital. No matter which way a family chooses to deliver, I would HIGHLY recommend hiring a doula. Worth every penny!
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What surprised you about your birth?
The most suprising thing to me was the speed of my labor and how fast I went into active labor and progressed. I was also very surprised by my water breaking, which was way stronger and faster than I imagined. It felt like a water balloon popped and lots of water came out!
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I would say to prepare yourself as much as possible. Don't go into it unprepared and educate yourself on the signs of labor so its not a scary but empowering experience. Take a naturally minded childbirth class outside of the hospital. Know about all the various interventions and what your rights are as a patient.
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
Deep breathing, movement, walking around the house through the contractions, leaning over on a birthing ball and rolling my hips around.
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What position did you end up delivering in?
Due to baby's breech position, I had to deliver the baby via c section. This wasn't in my original plans, but baby had other plans :)
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
Amazing! My husband and I were so emotional! It was so incredible to finally see his face.
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What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
I would say to prepare yourself as much as possible. Don't go into it unprepared and educate yourself on the signs of labor so its not a scary but empowering experience. Take a naturally minded childbirth class outside of the hospital. Know about all the various interventions and what your rights are as a patient. I would also recommend hiring a doula. She was an amazing support to us throughout the process and in preparation for labor and after the delivery. She was also available to us after we came home and was an invaluable resource to us as new parents.
