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When did you realize you were really in labor?
My water broke around 6 AM on a Sunday morning in July. When the pain that I had been feeling the night before became more regular and consistent, I realized the sensation that I was feeling was actually contractions. They felt nothing like I had expected.
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
I was somewhat apprehensive about not having any resources of a hospital in case something went wrong. But other than this, it was a very smooth birth, and I felt so well supported with my team around me: my husband, the doula plus the 2 midwives at the birthing center. It was incredibly intimate, just like I had hoped for.
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
Walking daily, engaging with a doula, doing the Mama Natural childbirth course with my husband, being aware of my posture (I didn't recline during the latter half of my pregnancy because I heard it could contribute to baby's sunny-side-up positioning), eating dates and drinking dates red raspberry leaf tea all contributed to my smooth labor and delivery.
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What surprised you about your birth?
The birthing process went by so quickly and was not at all as intense as I anticipated. I wouldn't even qualify the contractions or pushing as painful. Intense, yes, but not painful.
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I wanted a different story; I am so happy I was able to find support in the Mama Natural community, my doula and my husband in pursuing my birth vision as compared to what everyone else thought I should have.
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
Circular breathing, movement (i.e. walking around the couch) and light massage - which my doula helped me with.
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
It felt amazing. I was in awe of having my baby outside of me for the first time, after carrying him for 9 months.
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What did you name your baby, and why?
We named our baby Dante. My husband is South American, from Chile, and we wanted a name that worked in English and Spanish. I also love how he'll share this name with an Italian poet - it has romantic and literary connotations to me.
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What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
Trust your instincts of what you want. I had no friends in my immediate friend group that had given birth in a birthing center, and almost every woman I spoke with amongst friends and at work had gotten an epidural during childbirth. I wanted a different story; I am so happy I was able to find support in the Mama Natural community, my doula and my husband in pursuing my birth vision as compared to what everyone else thought I should have.
