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When did you realize you were really in labor?
At 11:45 pm on my due date! I had to call my husband who was in the basement playing video games to come to bed since I thought it would be a long day. I was right!
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
Having to fight every step of the way to keep it that way. Honestly, labor was what I had anticipated (or what I could being a first-time mom) but having to fight with every nurse, doctor and even my midwife about remaining all natural was very difficult and frustrating.
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Luke-Mom
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
Watched the Mama Natural Birth course with my husband, listened to a ton of pregnancy podcasts (mostly the Birth Hour which was fantastic), and read as many books as I could.
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What surprised you about your birth?
I got my all natural birth, but I also got an episiotomy, 4th-degree tear and two other tears, and a shoulder dystocia baby. The baby's heart rate was also very low at the end of pushing which turned my delivery into an emergency where there went from 3 people in the room to 15 in the matter of a minute. The midwife had to stick her hand in to grab the baby out while the two nurses pushed down on my stomach. He got instantly taken away to be looked at by the NICU unit and they kept pressing on my stomach to make the bleeding stop. We both ended up just fine, but definitely a surprise.
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It brought up a ton of topics for me and my husband and also gave us the chance to sit in a serious way and talk about these things. They were really important to me but he could have gone without it until he learned, so it was very valuable.
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
Lower back massage, hip pressure, hot shower water & squeezing the heck out of my husband's arm.
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What position did you end up delivering in?
On my back.
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
Beyond amazing. Words can't even describe it, especially after the scare of him not being OK.
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How did the Mama Natural Birth Class help you in your childbirth?
It brought up a ton of topics for me and my husband and also gave us the chance to sit in a serious way and talk about these things. They were really important to me but he could have gone without it until he learned, so it was very valuable.
