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When did you realize you were really in labor?
I woke up at 12:30 am and realized I was in labor. I had been waiting a few weeks in anticipation of this moment. I thought it was happening a few times in the previous few weeks but when I awoke on New Years Eve I knew this was it. It was a familiar feeling and I had no doubt otherwise.
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
Being of advanced maternal fetal age the midwives wanted me to be induced if I hadn't gone into labor by 40 weeks. I was sure I would go into labor early since I had with my daughter, but by 40 weeks there was still no baby and I didn't want to be induced. I had some acupuncture, lifted boxes, shoveled snow, walked a lot, and even ate spicy food, but none of these things caused induction. I wanted my baby to come when he was ready and I didn't want to be induced and in the end trusting myself that he would come on his own time and be healthy worked out for us.
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
Maybe it was drinking the red raspberry leaf tea since my labor was very fast, 4 hours in total. I didn't do much yoga with this second pregnancy, but I did walk a fair amount everyday. Just trusting my husband and my body during labor helped. so working on that trusting relationship ahead of time was probably very helpful. I also tried to eat a lot of dates but I couldn't eat as many as are prescribed everyday.
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What surprised you about your birth?
How fast it went. But going fast doesn't mean it's easy. Very few births are easy. I was surprised that even being a natural birth and delivery it is still incredibly intense and something I don't want to go through again. During the birth I remember thinking, this is the last one, and he's just my second child.
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I wanted my baby to come when he was ready and I didn't want to be induced and in the end trusting myself that he would come on his own time and be healthy worked out for us.
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
Breathing, my husband sending me energy during labor, being in child's pose.
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What position did you end up delivering in?
Tabletop / child's pose
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
Relaxing.
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What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
Drink the raspberry leaf tea if you like it. Perhaps this contributed to my easy labors. I am a naturally calm person but in both birth's the nurses commented that I was so calm. I couldn't imagine being any other way since the contractions are so intensely painful. But given their surprise at my calmness and their insistence that this helped me I would suggest that others practice some kind of calming practice like pranayama, meditation, or something.