Hiring a Birth Doula Helped Amber During Her Hospital Birth

When did you realize you were really in labor?

I started noticing contractions at 5:30A.M. the day before my daughter was born. They felt different than Braxton Hicks, not painful just uncomfortable, and they did not go away. They were pretty far apart though. I had my 36 week checkup around 12:30PM that afternoon, and my doctor told me I was not dilated but I was thinning out. She told me it could be something or it could be nothing and I could feel this way on and off for the remainder of my pregnancy. The contractions did not go away, and I quit timing, but I think they gradually got a little closer together and more uncomfortable throughout the day. Around 7:00PM that night, I had a more painful contraction and then I discovered I was losing my mucus plug. At that point, I felt something was probably happening, but I still was not sure since I had heard of many women that lose their mucus plug awhile before they go into labor. I continued to have contractions that were slightly more painful (and lose my mucus plug) throughout the rest of the evening, but nothing that seemed too consistent, so again I figured I was probably going into labor, but I still was not sure. It wasn't until around 10:15PM that night when I started timing my contractions, which were painful at that point, that I realized I was REALLY in labor. At that point, they were 5 minutes apart and lasted for approximately a minute.

What was the most challenging thing about going natural?

I got to the hospital when my contractions were 2-3 minutes apart. My blood pressure was very high, so I was kept in triage, although I still am not sure why they kept me there to monitor it instead of sending me to a labor and delivery room. I was not sent to a room until my water broke and I was ready to push. Therefore, I was stuck on a small bed and hooked to a fetal monitor and blood pressure cuff. This was the most challenging part of going natural because there were not many things available to me to incorporate the techniques I had planned on using for relaxation and comfort.

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

I did a lot of research and reading and even took a class, but I think the two must helpful things I did was watched/read A LOT of birth stories, especially of women with multiple children who have had both a medicated and unmedicated birth, and I hired a birth doula.

What surprised you about your birth?

Everything...going into labor at 36 weeks, the progression of my labor, the interruptions to my "plan" and how quickly it went once I was in active labor, especially since this was my first child.

Simply amazing. It was the best, most emotional moment of my life.

What pain relief strategies worked best?

Since I was stuck in triage and did not get to labor in a labor and delivery room, there were not a lot of options for me. I had a lot of back labor, and my husband and my doula applied counterpressure to my hips and that seemed to help me the most.

What position did you end up delivering in?

In bed on my side. Again- not how I planned to deliver, but it was the most comfortable position for me at the time.

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

Simply amazing. It was the best, most emotional moment of my life.

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

I think my number one piece of advice is that you have to mentally prepare. By that I mean, you need to say this is my goal, and I am going to do it. You almost have to tell yourself there is no other option, even though in the back of your mind, you have to know that things do not always go according to plan. I also highly recommend hiring a birth doula. Even though my labor and delivery did not go how I thought it would, my birth doula was invaluable to my husband and me. She helped my husband help me, and she encouraged me not to give up (even though I wanted to several times). Her positive affirmations and encouragement got me through my labor without medication. Another thing I found extremely helpful was to watch/read birth stories of women that have had both medicated and unmedicated births. It really gave me a feel for the benefits of natural birth and the risks of a medicated one. Other than that, read anything you can find. I also took a natural, unmedicated birth class, but by that time, I feel like I had learned a lot of what that class taught on my own already. However, I did think it was extremely useful for my husband to prepare for our birth, which is just as important.