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When did you realize you were really in labor?
The night before Phoenix was born. I had been showing signs of cervical changes the day before her birth (ex. mucus loss, bloody show, lower abdominal menstrual-like cramping) and was encouraged by my significant other to go to bed early that night. I was able to sleep off and on from 9 PM-1 AM; however, after 1 AM I was consistently waking up to breathe through contractions. I was able to stay in bed until 5 AM when I chose to get up to take a hot shower. With the contractions picking up in intensity and frequency, I stayed out of bed to facilitate standing/swaying during the surges after I showered. It was around this time that I was beginning to realize I was truly progressing through the stages of labor.
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
Since this was my first baby, the most challenging thing about going natural was not knowing what to expect. I have a deep sense of trust in women's ability to give birth without the need for intervention. There are always exceptions where intervention is absolutely necessary; however, as a chiropractor that works closely with pregnant women and their children, I have grown to understand how our bodies are physiologically created to make and birth babies. Having that knowledge from an intellectual standpoint was DRASTICALLY different compared to actually going through the experience of labor and birth first hand. Just like with feeling the first movements of baby while pregnant, the experience of labor and the birth is not something that I could have grasped from other mothers' descriptions.
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
I got adjusted by a chiropractor using the Webster technique! I made sure to get checked by a chiropractor that understood the bio-mechanics of a pregnant woman's body at least 1-3 times per week depending on the severity of my discomfort.
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What surprised you about your birth?
How much of a break I got during the pushing stage of labor. I absolutely felt out of control during transition; however, this lasted a short period of time for me (15-20 minutes). I distinctly remember at the end of transition my body began to bear down like I was going to have a bowel movement. After that first instinctual feeling of bearing down, I remember having a break for about 1-2 minutes before I felt the urge to bear down again. Those longer breaks were AMAZING compared to the 'back-to-back' surges I had been experiencing before then.
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I would encourage you to feel empowered and educated with all of the decisions you will make regarding your birthing experience. In wanting to go natural, I think there is something to be said about understanding the physiology behind laboring and giving birth - especially the hormonal cascade.
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
Holding myself up on my desk during a contraction and rhythmically swaying back and forth until the intensity passed, taking a hot shower, getting into a birthing pool when I started to push, vocalizing with low tones during surges.
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What position did you end up delivering in?
In a birthing pool propped up on my back with my legs spread. This was a great position to be able to reach down and feel my baby's head while I was pushing. Being able to feel her head made me understand where to direct my pushing - it truly made a HUGE difference.
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
Absolutely surreal. It still is surreal to reflect back on that moment where my significant other placed her on my chest for the first time. I was overwhelmed with relief that the process of laboring was over and I was actually holding this person that I knew so well but had never met. Not knowing my baby's gender before she was in my arms was the best surprise/reward after the hours of labor/birth.
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What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
I would encourage you to feel empowered and educated with all of the decisions you will make regarding your birthing experience. In wanting to go natural, I think there is something to be said about understanding the physiology behind laboring and giving birth - especially the hormonal cascade. I would also encourage you to understand the link between how our mental state affects the physiology of our body. Our perception of the birthing experience both before going into labor and during labor/birth itself has a dramatic effect on our physiology and how we progress. I found the description of this phenomena in both Hypnobirthing and Ina May Gaskin's Guide to Childbirth to be the most helpful.
