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When did you realize you were really in labor?
When I woke up around 11 pm and I could no longer lay down through the contraction anymore and I had to get up onto my hands and knees and breathe through them. I had been having Braxton Hicks for months and that afternoon I started having some bloody show so I knew it was coming soon.
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
Keeping my mindset positive and that I could do it. I was very positive and felt like I could do it for the first 10 hours, but then when I had a cervical check and was only 5 cm and was told the contractions were going to get more intense I didn’t think I could do it anymore, plus I was just getting so tired at this point because I hadn’t gotten much sleep.
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
Reading other birth stories, Ina’s Mae’s Guide to natural childbirth book, Mama Natural’s week by week book and childbirth course, educating my husband on techniques and how childbirth is a natural process and nothing to be scared of. My husband was my biggest supporter and encouraged throughout so having him on board was the biggest help.
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What surprised you about your birth?
How long it was. Both my sister and Mom had 12-hour labors with all their kids so that what I had in my mind when labor started but when I hit that 12-hour mark and still had a ways to go it really discouraged me. I was also surprised with how involved my husband was In supporting me also surprised me, he moaned through every contraction with me when I could no longer just breathe through them and helped lifted me up when I needed him too. This was all without me saying anything to him because I was in labor land and didn’t talk for hours. I was surprised how loud I ended up being in labor, I’m typically a very quiet person so figured I would be very internal during labor too, nope. Moaning low and loudly was the only thing that got me through.
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My husband was my biggest supporter and encouraged throughout so having him on board was the biggest help.
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
Deep breathing, movement-hands and knees, and leaning over while standing were often the best positions for me (I think this was because my body was trying to turn my OP baby), deep moaning as the contractions got stronger, and the birthing tub-when I got into the water it almost felt like I was given a drug it was such a relief.
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What position did you end up delivering in?
Squatting in the birth tub. I was holding onto my husband's hands for balance.
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
It was amazing and very surreal!!
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How did the Mama Natural Birth Class help you in your childbirth?
It helped to have the knowledge that I could do it and to have different strategies to try.
