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When did you realize you were really in labor?
I woke up with cramping at around 5am. They were coming about every 15 minutes. I couldn't go back to sleep and they were getting close together, so I knew it was real! So glad I told my husband not to go to work since it's an hour away.
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
Honestly, I didn't find anything about this labor and birth very challenging. After a very hard natural birth with my first baby, I just kept thinking "when is it going to hurt?"
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
I think already having a natural birth helped tremendously. I felt totally prepared for that one and it was long and hard. Nothing went like I thought it would. This time around, I picked an incredible midwife, I believed in myself, and I wasn't afraid. I think fear (and a bad, invasive midwife) made my first birth very hard.
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What surprised you about your birth?
It was so, easy! It only lasted a few hours, and the whole time I was just waiting for the unbearable pain that never came. I walked around, chatted with my husband and birth team, loved on my toddler. I even told my photographer/friend to wait on coming over because it would be a few hours. He was born less than an hour later!
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Your birth team is so incredibly important. As is your birth place. I fully believe that feeling comfortable and safe and confident has a lot to do with how your birth will go.
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
Movement! I walked around and rocked my hips while leaning (mainly on my husband) during contractions the entire time. Sitting was not comfortable at all. I had 2 painful contractions, one on my knees and one on the toilet.
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What position did you end up delivering in?
I went with all fours. It just felt natural. It all happened so fast. Suddenly my body was pushing, with no effort on my part. I was still fully clothed so my midwife said "I guess we should unblock that exit" (still cracks me up!). I walked to my bedroom, jumped on the bed on my hands and knees, and baby was crowning! I didn't have to push once, my body just took over. And it felt so incredible!
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
So much emotion. I was so happy! And in a bit of shock. Happy my son was in my arms, happy it was so quick. Shocked that it was so easy. I didn't get to feel that emotion with my first baby. With his birth, I was exhausted and just relieved it was over. This time I was on top of the world. I cried and cried tears of joy. I just couldn't believe I had such an amazing, healing birth. I couldn't believe I didn't even have to do much. It didn't even feel like I'd just given birth. I feel so lucky to have had this experience.
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What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
Your birth team is so incredibly important. As is your birth place. I fully believe that feeling comfortable and safe and confident has a lot to do with how your birth will go. Have your baby at a place that makes you feel safe, with a team who trusts you and your baby and will go with the flow instead of telling you what to do and how to do it. Your body is so amazing, especially when it is allowed to do what it needs. Any kind of intervention can really make things much harder.
