Having Her Husband As Her Main Support Helped Emily Achieve Her Birth Center Birth

When did you realize you were really in labor?

I had been in early/first half of active labor for about a week so I was constantly contracting off and on but things really kicked into gear when at 2 AM on august 15th my water finally broke and then it took me 10 minutes or so to be sure because I woke up to a popping noise (no kidding) and went to the bathroom and at first it was so little coming out that it felt like maybe just a urine leak until the contractions suddenly intensified greatly.

What was the most challenging thing about going natural?

This was my 4th natural birth and I think the hardest part in the end this time was the pushing in the end even though that normally isn't painful for me this time it was. Also just the contracting so much and so regularly for so long was a huge test on patience and occasionally endurance.

What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?

Having my husband by my side as my main support and also having a friend that I talked to constantly who was going through most of the same stuff as me and gave birth a few weeks before me just she had twins.

What surprised you about your birth?

That even though it was planned anyways that my husband actually did deliver my daughter (although sadly we didn't get any pictures or video of it because I forgot my phone and our photographer didn't make it in time.) And that it happened as fast as it did. My water broke at 2 am and she was born at 3:04 am and even though she wasn't my fastest baby I still didn't expect it to go that fast. We barely made it to the birth center and when we got there they were waiting with a wheel chair and raced me to the birthing room and told me if before I needed to go to the bed that I could kneel on the floor so I did and then she was born right there on the floor (my husband caught her though) at the end of the bed.

Have patience and trust your body plus do your best not to focus on the pain or even call it pain.

What pain relief strategies worked best?

Distractions, breathing, making noises, having my husband with me. This was my 4th baby and all 4 of them I never used pain killers.

What position did you end up delivering in?

on my knees on the floor gripping to a couch at the end of the bed in the birthing room.

How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?

Amazing. I actually didn't pick her up right away. The midwife took her from my husband and handed her to me and we didn't know the gender yet because we had let it be a surprise so when she was on the floor being handed to me the first thing I did was realize that she was a girl and started crying to my husband its a girl its a girl joe its a girl (we had really wanted a girl). and then I picked her up. the whole time they were telling me to pick her up lol.

What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?

Have patience and trust your body plus do your best not to focus on the pain or even call it pain.