-
When did you realize you were really in labor?
When I told my husband it was time to go to the hospital, I knew I was in labor but at the same time had this fear that they would send me home. When they told me I was there to stay I broke down in tears because it was really happening. When my husband asked if I was alright I told him that I just couldn't believe we were really going to have a baby that very same day. I was overwhelmed and so excited at the same time. It was go time!
-
What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
Relaxing my body. I went from 4 centimeters to a 10 in less than 2 hours. It was very intense and my contractions felt like they were right on top of each other. I had a very difficult time relaxing between contractions but my amazing midwife and support team would remind me to relax my entire body and that helped me stay focused.
-
IMG_20160306_175430
-
What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
I focused a lot on preparing my mind. I read a ton of positive birth stories and used words of affirmation to help me believe in myself. I would say phrases to my myself such as... "I can and will do this."My body was made to give birth." "I trust my body." I also reminded myself daily why I wanted a natural birth and why I was determined to do it. I took a bath every night and that was my time to relax and focus my mind and energy on positive thoughts and feelings.
-
What surprised you about your birth?
I knew even before I got pregnant that I wanted to have an unmedicated birth with my next baby. From the get go, I wasn't afraid of pushing out a baby. That part didn't scare me and I think it's because once you get to that point in labor, you can't go back and ask for an epidural. You just have to keep going. The part that scared me was dealing with the contractions and if I would be able to cope with the pain. So what surprised me most was that I handled the really hard part pretty well. Transition was the point for me that I didn't want to do it anymore. I even told my support team multiple times that I couldn't do this anymore. But the thing is, I could do it and I did do it. Instead of thinking about future contractions or how much longer it would be, I focused on one contraction at a time. Once the contraction passed, I tried to forget about the discomfort and that kept me going. Once my contractions got intense, my labor went very quickly and I didn't have a lot of time to think about getting an epidural. All I could do was cope and stay focused.
-
Your body knows what to do, it's your mind that causes fear and doubt. Believe in yourself and you can do anything you set your mind to. My mother always says, "You can do hard things." Believe that because you can.
-
What pain relief strategies worked best?
I found that during early labor and transition, I was most comfortable on my knees and leaning over either the bed or a birthing ball. My midwife was also great at applying counter pressure to my back. At one point it felt like her entire body was laying on top of me. My husband helped with the counter pressure as well and told me afterwards that he was afraid they were going to break me with how hard they were pushing on my body. At the time, it felt amazing and really helped ease the pain.
-
What position did you end up delivering in?
Sitting upright in bed.
-
How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
It was such a relief to finally have her out and in my arms. However, I was distracted by how much I hurt still. I thought that all the pain would go away as soon as she was born but that wasn't the case. Once I could hold and enjoy her without feeling any pain, she stole my heart. I am so smitten with her. She is perfect.
-
What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
Your body knows what to do, it's your mind that causes fear and doubt. Believe in yourself and you can do anything you set your mind to. My mother always says, "You can do hard things." Believe that because you can.
