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When did you realize you were really in labor?
Being woken up at 1:30 in the morning with contractions on my due date, I just knew this was it! There was no mistaking these ones as the real deal. I was shocked how quickly they started getting close together and intense right off the bat.
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
I always heard women talking about the pain but I swear I thought they were exaggerating. Well, they certainly are not! I admittedly have a very low pain tolerance and by far the loss of control over your body and the pain of contractions was the hardest part.
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
The Mama Natural online course and reading as much as I could to figure out what my body was going to do and why. Once I know the reason behind something I can handle it better. Being prepared and knowing what would come next helped me feel like I had a game plan.
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What surprised you about your birth?
How completely supportive my care team, mom and husband were. I could not have done 18 hours of labor without them and the amount of compassion, encouragement and love in that room makes me tear up even now thinking about it. Also the guttural, primal noises I made during contractions. I am normally a pretty reserved, private person and I was completely naked the whole time singing, moaning and doing horse lips through the contractions!
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I will never forget the feeling of warmth and the smell of her-gosh it was just one of the best moments of my life.
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
The tub and shower was a lifesaver for me. I spent hours in there until my midwife realized I was close to transition and literally had to force (well strongly encourage ha) me out.
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What position did you end up delivering in?
Surprisingly on my back felt best. We had tried squatting and the squat bar but it was too uncomfortable for me.
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
I will never forget the feeling of warmth and the smell of her-gosh it was just one of the best moments of my life. Just recalling that experience brings tears to my eyes. I would go through all the pain of childbirth and be pushing again to relive that!
