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When did you realize you were really in labor?
I knew I was really in labor when I woke up from a nap and realized that the contractions that had waned off were picking up. I took a bath to see if they continued and they did! I started humming and making quiet vocalizations during some and knew that it was time to let our birth team know that things were happening.
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
The most challenging part about going natural is allowing yourself to realize that you are not in control and that your body will birth in its own beautiful way, which may not be the way that you imagined it would happen!
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
The most helpful thing that I did was take a lot of baths, which is not something that I normally like. I knew that I wanted a water birth more than pretty much anything, so I would regularly hole myself up in the bathroom and simulate the sort of birth that I wanted. I would play my favorite kinds of music, the sound of ocean waves, and have candles lit all around me. This really helped me to "practice" birth, if you will and it did not seem like an unfamiliar territory to me when I was actually in labor.
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What surprised you about your birth?
It surprised me how hyper aware I was of my body and how I could anticipate what was getting ready to happen.
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I started humming and making quiet vocalizations during some and knew that it was time to let our birth team know that things were happening.
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
Vocalizations, keeping them low and vibrating! Swaying of the hips and counter pressure on my sacrum, provided by my loving and AMAZINGLY supportive husband!
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What position did you end up delivering in?
I delivered on my hands and knees.
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
Holding my sweet and slippery newborn in my arms was sheer bliss. I was surprised to find that, just like in my medicated births, I totally relaxed and felt as if I had been drugged into that state. lol
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What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
Practice, practice, practice! If you have an idea of what you want specifically, do a lot to get yourself into that mindset. Educate yourself on EVERYTHING and educate your partner and the rest of your birth team on WHY you want to do what you want to do and how to HELP you achieve it. Also educate your support team on why you DON'T want interventions. When they have been well educated, they can better help you avoid those things when you reach a vulnerable stage--which doesn't last very long, I promise!
