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When did you realize you were really in labor?
I woke up at 6:30 AM to a contraction, and then I had another one about 4 minutes later. Considering I don’t even feel my contractions until I am 7-8 cm dilated, I knew this was it.
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
Transition was a challenge with this baby. My oldest 2 children and I had been staying with my parents, and we were due to head home to be with my husband that morning! The baby had other plans! Haha! Once I decided my course of action, I told my husband to meet me at the hospital. My children stayed behind with my parents. I drove myself to the hospital, and transitioned behind the wheel of my vehicle. It was an hour long drive to get there, because I wanted to make it to my hospital. But, because he came so quickly, I had to stop at the hospital that was a little closer. He was quite literally almost born in my car. He arrived just a few short minutes after I walked into the hospital, and was born on a gurney, delivered by nurses. My husband barely made it to see the birth!
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
What helped me the most to prepare for childbirth was exercising, chiropractic care, reading labor stories/books, and watching birth videos. I also focused on positive birth affirmations, scripture, and breathing. None of my labors have been longer than 4.5 hours from start to finish. This particular labor was 2.5 hours in length. I had already been in labor a little over an hour when I left for the hospital (not realizing I would be cutting it that close). Exercising/working out not only made all of my labors shorter, it helped to prepare my body to have the strength and stamina to endure to rigors of childbirth. It also helped with healing postpartum.
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What surprised you about your birth?
What surprised me about this birth was that I was able to safely drive to the hospital contracting every 1.5 to 2 minutes! Pure adrenaline. I was also surprised that pushing was so different this time. I had experienced the fetal ejection reflex before, but this time it felt different. I didn’t really experience what I would call pain, but more of a euphoric release. I think because I had held onto a little fear during my previous natural birth, this time I was able to let that go completely.
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Have the mindset that you want to go natural and make sure your provider and birth support team is on the same page with you. Set yourself up for success. For all of my natural births, I had the mindset that there was no other option. This is what my body was designed to do, and I had a goal in mind. God designed a woman’s body to do amazing and wonderful things bringing forth life. Trust that your body can do this.
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
The car drive was the most painful/uncomfortable part of labor. During the drive, I did much of what I had planned prior to labor. I listened to music on my satellite radio while gripping my steering wheel and low moaning with a relaxed open mouth through my contractions. The low moans and deep breathing helped me tremendously to make it through the intense waves. I was able to talk to my husband and mother on the phone periodically to update them (hands-free through my car radio). Fortunately, (God was definitely giving me traveling mercies), traffic was not bad, and I wasn’t held up by any lights. I drove with my hazard lights on the entire way.
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What position did you end up delivering in?
I delivered his head on hands and knees on a gurney. I flipped over to my bottom to deliver the rest of his body.
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
It was an amazing feeling holding him! I was just so stunned at how quickly he came, and that I was already holding him! He was a beautiful and perfect blessing from God. I remember staring at him in wonder and being so in love. I was thanking the Lord for getting me through such an intense, but exciting, birth!
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What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
Have the mindset that you want to go natural and make sure your provider and birth support team is on the same page with you. Set yourself up for success. For all of my natural births, I had the mindset that there was no other option. This is what my body was designed to do, and I had a goal in mind. God designed a woman’s body to do amazing and wonderful things bringing forth life. Trust that your body can do this. Prepare by reading as many books on natural birth as you can (Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth and Birth Without Fear are two great books); watch natural birth videos; talk to other mamas who have given birth naturally; take a natural birthing class if they are available; get chiropractic adjustments to align your pelvis and body; exercise to get your body ready, and remain positive throughout the days leading up to birth.
