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When did you realize you were really in labor?
I was 40+4 and it was 1:30 pm I was folding some laundry and noticed some discomfort lower down and didn't think too much of it. I kept folding and realized this kept happening and was getting more and more uncomfortable. I made a cheese plate with some grapes and got in the tub assuming they were Braxton Hicks and would go away. While in the tub my youngest dog was next to me and I noticed he was extremely nervous and he ended up hopping in the tub with me was licking me and whimpering. I realized this might be the real thing but still wasn't having much pain so I got out and went upstairs to try to rest and wait and see if these picked up. I laid upstairs for 40 min unable to rest because they were coming so fast and strong I couldn't talk through them. I pulled out my phone to start tracking my contractions and immediately had to run to the bathroom and throw up. Once I was done throwing up I used the bathroom and noticed I was bleeding. My husband was luckily working from home and I waddled over to his office and he muted his headset and looked at me and I said "soo.... I'm pretty sure I'm in labor. "
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
My labor was so fast I didn't have much time to think. The worst part for me was the hour-long car ride to the birth center. Contractions were coming to a minute apart and were over a minute and a half long. I was in the backseat on my knees wrapped around the back headrest and my poor husband was trying to drive quickly but safely but every bump and turn we made was horrible.
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
The Mama Natural Birth Course! The whole time I kept reminding myself to keep my jaw loose and stay relaxed as I breathed through the contractions and trusted my body and instincts. My Midwife kept complimenting me for doing everything right and said I did better than most seasoned moms she has worked with.
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What surprised you about your birth?
How quick my labor was. From the first twinge of a contraction to when she was actually out was only 8 hours. My husband thinks it's funny because we were told that it wasn't going to be like the movies but where we would have to rush out once things started happening but we actually did. I went from nothing to contractions a minute apart, a minute and a half long and that pattern lasted over an hour. By the time we called our midwife she was shocked and told us we need to get to the birth center. We were only at the birth center for an hour and a half before she was out!
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Trust your body! It knows what is doing. And if you can do a water birth, I suggest it.
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
Rocking my hips was great the whole time and once I got in the tub having my husband pour water over my back was magical and I helped me make it through contractions.
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
It felt surreal. I kept looking at her feeling like I was dreaming and there was no way she was here already.
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What did you name your baby, and why?
We named her Bailey Louise
Honestly, we just liked the name the second we heard it. We talked about choosing a name or middle name to honor a family member but ended up deciding it was going to start issues since we have so many important people in our lives.
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What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
Trust your body! It knows what is doing. And if you can do a water birth I suggest it.
