-
When did you realize you were really in labor?
After a week of prelabor contractions my family decided to go to the zoo so my 2 year old could have a safe place to run and play and I could keep walking. We have a 15 minute walk to the Zoo from our flat, and half way there I realized that the contractions were so strong that I could barely keep walking and we needed to turn back! It was 9:30 am on a Tuesday, 5 days past my due date.
-
What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
I was terrified of the potential pain. I had been a victim of the "cascade of interventions" in my first delivery and ended up with a c-section, so the imagined pain of natural labor and delivery made me very anxious. But I was committed to going natural because of the potential rewards of a successful VBAC (i.e. Fewer complications with this and subsequent deliveries!)
-
IMG_0519
-
What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
I hired an amazing doula to help support me. With my first delivery I had family all around to support me, but this time my husband I are are living in a foreign country and navigating a hospital system in a foreign language, so having a doula who spoke both languages fluently was a must for helping me stay committed to natural birth and for advocating for our process in the hospital.
-
What surprised you about your birth?
The first surprise was how quickly I wanted an epidural! The pain was so overwhelming that I didn't think I could make it through. Luckily I had an amazing and supportive birth team who reminded me that my body was made to do this and distracted me until it was too late for the drugs! I was also completely taken aback by the short recovery time in comparison to my c-section. I was in the hospital for 26 hours, with labor and delivery included.
-
Get a team who will support that decision and who know you well enough to advocate for you if you change your mind. Having a team that knew how much I wanted to go natural and stalled me from getting an epidural was SO ANNOYING in the moment, but absolutely worth it for the result!
-
What pain relief strategies worked best?
Laboring in a birthing tub was very helpful until I could hold myself out of the water any longer. When I had to move to a bed, making loud moans actually helped me focus my energy away from the pain better than anything else.
-
What position did you end up delivering in?
I ended up delivering in the standard laying on my back position, holding my knees back with both hands. By this point I was so exhausted that doing anything but laying down felt impossible.
-
How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
Crazy. I had waited about an hour to hold my son after my c-section, and even then he was fully wrapped in blankets and a diaper. With this delivery I had my baby on my chest immediately and it felt so natural and perfect. It was the result that I had so desperately wanted and it was such a relief to find that it was as beautiful as I had hoped it would be!
-
What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
Get a team who will support that decision and who know you well enough to advocate for you if you change your mind. Having a team that knew how much I wanted to go natural and stalled me from getting an epidural was SO ANNOYING in the moment, but absolutely worth it for the result!
