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When did you realize you were really in labor?
I woke up at 3am with intense contractions, but it wasnt until about 4pm that they grew to 3-5 minutes apart. At that point I knew the baby was coming soon!
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
The actual birth was very intense, but it was the repairs that had to be done after to fix three places where I tore, that was the most challenging. It seemed to take forever, was very painful, and I just wanted to enjoy my baby!
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
Getting a good night's sleep the few nights before going into labor gave me the energy I needed when it was time to give birth. I had been having a hard time sleeping and was exhausted, so my midwife suggested taking a bath and drinking camomile tea before going to bed. It worked like a charm!
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What surprised you about your birth?
It was so fast! I labored at home for the day, and then went to the hospital when my contractions were 2 minutes apart. When we got there, I was 8cm dilated and baby was born 1.5 hours later!
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Stay at home and keep busy for as long as you can. Having contractions sitting in the hospital is way more difficult! I'm so glad I was almost through my labor by the time I got to the hospital!
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
At first, keeping busy around the house and going for walks worked great to distract me. When the contractions got very intense between 8-10cm, my husband and mom rubbed my back which provided some relief.
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What position did you end up delivering in?
I ended up delivering on my back. I started pushing in a squatting positon, but my legs got to tired to stay in that position, so I flipped over onto my back to finish pushing her out.
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
Wonderful! Although it was hard because I couldn't see her well in the position I was in and it seemed to take forever for the midwife to stitch me up. Once I finally got a good look at her, it was incredible!
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What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
Stay at home and keep busy for as long as you can. Having contractions sitting in the hospital is way more difficult! I'm so glad I was almost through my labor by the time I got to the hospital!
