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When did you realize you were really in labor?
I started having regular timable contractions at 3am the day before she was born. They were painful so I started timing.
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
How long my labour was. It was mentally and physically exhausting. If it wasn't for an amazing support system I wouldn't have been able to do it.
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
The absolute best decision was hiring our doula. I watched tons of live births online and listened to birth stories. Having my birth preferences written down held me accountable.
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What surprised you about your birth?
How quickly things happened in the end. I had a very long early labour. I was having painful contractions for almost 40 hours with barely any progress. They broke my water at 4cm and less than an hour later I was holding my baby girl. My story is proof that things might be over sooner than you think so it's worth holding out. Just take it one contraction at a time.
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Read, listen and watch everything you can! Do your research, learn from other women's stories so you know all your options!
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
Moving around. Bouncing on a birth ball and circling my hips. Swaying and standing. Hot shower. Being vocal also helped me to let go of the pain, deep moans.
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What position did you end up delivering in?
Things happened so quickly I ended up pushing on my back, holding my thighs. It wasn't what I had pictured but it worked.
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
Scary and amazing at the same time. I can still feel how warm her skin was when I first touched her. Makes me cry just thinking about it as I hold her now!
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What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
Read, listen and watch everything you can! Do your research, learn from other women's stories so you know all your options! Hire a doula - find someone you really connect with and let her help you and your partner. Our doula was so intuitive and was able to adapt to help me with my labour from start to finish. I barely know her but I felt like she knew exactly what to do to help me through every tough moment.
