Her Midwife Practice Helped Kristin During Her Second Natural Hospital Birth

When did you realize you were really in labor?

It was the Friday night 3 days before my due date. I just didn't feel right--a bit anxious, and couldn't fall asleep. Instead of waking my husband I decided to just wait it out to see if this was the real deal. At about 4 AM I started having contractions. They were about every 5 minutes and very mild, lasting only 20-30 seconds with little pain. However, after the birth of my first baby, where I barely made it to the hospital, I was very cautious with this pregnancy and knew that once labor started I needed to go to the hospital right away. I woke up my husband, called the midwife and we headed to the hospital. Unfortunately, it turns out that I was a little overly cautious this time. Once we got to the hospital, and into a delivery room, my contractions came to almost a stop. This was not the fast and furious birth that I had anticipated. The midwife did not want to send me home as I was 5 to 6 cm dilated with the baby sitting very low, but said it could also be a while before true active labor would begin. She told us to do some walking, which we did, but nothing seemed to work. After about eight hours in the hospital we made the decision to have the midwife break my water. I was in tears, knowing the intense pain was about to begin.

What was the most challenging thing about going natural?

The fear of the pain, and the pain itself. Once the midwife broke my water, things got really intense fast and baby was born 40 min later. I was expecting labor to be less painful and intense and then with my first, but honestly it was a difficult 40 minutes. That said, it was only 40 minutes, and once the baby was out, the hard work and much of the pain was gone. After a fast and very painful delivery with my first child, I was very scared of going natural the second time. I had lots of anxiety leading up to the big event. I had considered an epidural up until the last moment before my Midwife broke my water, but knowing my birth plan, my Midwife actually discouraged it and told me I could do it and that she believed in me. When it's said and done, I'm glad I did things as natural. I felt fantastic after the delivery, and even though it's painful, having an all natural birth really marks the experience. It's definitely something you will never forget!

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

I honestly didn't do as much to prepare with my second pregnancy as I did with my first. Some things just get put on the back burner when you're chasing around a toddler. For me, probably the best thing I did was switching from a traditional OB/GYN practice to a midwife practice. Nothing against traditional docs, but my midwife was very instrumental in helping me resist the epidural. My husband was a great support when things got really tough and kept reminding me that we were about to meet our baby. Also, we didn't find out the gender ahead of time, so having something to be surprised about did motivate me to push harder!

What surprised you about your birth?

Based on what others had told me, I expected the labor time to be cut in half from my first birth, meaning I should have had about a 2 to 3 hour labor this time around. This wasn't the case for me, as this time I had a more prolonged early labor, though super intense and short active labor just like the first time. I was also surprised that my baby girl was so big--9lbs 4ounces and 22 inches of love.

Try to not let the fear distract you from your birth plan. Labor and delivery are hard, but everything will likely go faster with the fewer interventions you have. Also, keep the end game in mind. I felt fantastic after delivery, and not sure my recovery would have been as good had I chosen to have medical interventions.

What pain relief strategies worked best?

I had initially planned on doing a water birth, but was not feeling a ton of relief from the bath. It was more helpful for me to stand next to the nitrous oxide tank, inhaling the gas while swaying side to side. While I didn't feel the nitrous took the pain away, it really was helpful in getting me to focus my breathing.

What position did you end up delivering in?

I ended up delivering on my left side with my husband on my left side and my midwife on my right pulling my right leg back as hard as she could.

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

Such a big relief! I was also elated because we found out we were parents to a baby girl! We have all boys in the extended family, so this little girl is sure to be a spoiled princess.

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

Try to not let the fear distract you from your birth plan. Labor and delivery are hard, but everything will likely go faster with the fewer interventions you have. Also, keep the end game in mind. I felt fantastic after delivery, and not sure my recovery would have been as good had I chosen to have medical interventions.