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When did you realize you were really in labor?
When my water broke while I was sitting on the toilet talking to my mom who was in the shower. I felt a kick, a pop, and a gush.
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
Not only did I go natural, I also went unassisted. I did not seek assistance from an OBGYN or a Midwife. So the most challenging thing was having to listen to all the negative opinions from people who didn’t understand my decision to have an unassisted pregnancy and birth.
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
A combination of things. Praying to God for guidance and strength and having Him show me I had made the right decision, enrolling and completing the Mama Natural Birth Course online, and reading a book entitled “Childbirth a Without Fear” by Grantly Dick-Read.
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What surprised you about your birth?
How fast it all happened! I was expecting to settle into a long labor but my labor only lasted 4 hours 20 minutes from water breaking to delivery!
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It helped knowing I didn’t go into my labor blindly unassuming and uneducated about the actual process of childbirth. I went into it feeling empowered and sure that my body would do its job.
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
Definitely the “horse lips” breathing technique. But honestly for me, at some point, everything became instinctual and I didn’t have time to be in pain or even think about the pain. Actually, thinking back there wasn’t much “pain”.
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What position did you end up delivering in?
Squatting next to my bed with my elbows on the bed.
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
Incredible because she was still attached to me by her cord and she was all slippery and gooey and I thought she smelled wonderful! I didn’t get to experience that when my first daughter was born.
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How did the Mama Natural Birth Class help you in your childbirth?
It helped knowing I didn’t go into my labor blindly unassuming and uneducated about the actual process of childbirth. I went into it feeling empowered and sure that my body would do its job.
