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When did you realize you were really in labor?
About half way thru early labor which stated when I awoke Saturday January 28th. The contractions were getting stronger all day and I knew that this was it.
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
The long labor after my water broke at 10:30am on Sunday the 29th. From there on, I progressed very quickly to 8cm, then 9cm and baby Gabriel got stuck in my cervix. I went through about 4 hours of transition before realizing that we had to get some medical assistance to deliver. 30 hours of unmedicated labor that ended in a C-section.
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
Hiring a doula who believed in me and who supported my husband and me in every aspect of the birth. Knowing how to properly take deep breaths and keep my body as relaxed as possible through every contraction helped a ton. I also learned a lot about every step from the Mama Natural Birth Class and other support groups on Facebook.
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What surprised you about your birth?
How the whole process panned out, not how I expected, but close. I was extremely pleased with how well the hospital staff respected my wishes and birth plan, even through the C-section. I successfully had my all natural labor with staff during the C-section who respected my wishes.
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By educating my husband and me on all the terminology and what to expect from the entire process.
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
Breathing deeply through contractions while keeping my shoulders loose and making low pitched moans on nonsense syllables and taking a hot shower during labor.
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What position did you end up delivering in?
C-section
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
Unreal. It really did not feel real and it took me a while to really grasp that this was our baby. I was also on morphine at the time, so I was shaky. But I did get a good 30 minutes of skin to skin while on the operating table. It finally sunk in when I got to recovery and was constantly holding him. It was the most amazing gift to ever receive and the feeling of being immensely blessed was overwhelming.
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How did the Mama Natural Birth Class help you in your childbirth?
By educating my husband and me on all the terminology and what to expect from the entire process.
