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When did you realize you were really in labor?
I realized I was in labor about an hour after my water broke. With my first baby, my water never broke, so I didn't know what that felt like. It was bizarre!
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
The most challenging part of the whole experience was nursing my toddler back to sleep in the middle of the night while trying to stay quiet and still through several really intense contractions!
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
The best thing I did was plan for a home birth. It is one of the best decisions I have ever made.
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What surprised you about your birth?
It surprised me that everything went so quickly. My daughter was born less than twelve hours after my water broke, which was when labor started.
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My advice to other moms is to read the book Ina May's Guide to Childbirth. It really helped to read all those women's stories. They gave me ideas about how to get through the "rushes" of labor (contractions) so that they would be more bearable.
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
Movement and visualizations worked best for pain relief. During the early parts, I danced through each contraction while holding onto the kitchen counter (I was baking). Later on it helped to rock through them, either lying down on the couch or standing up, or squatting. Still later, I stretched my legs out tightly on the couch while squeezing my husband's hand. The thing that worked best throughout the labor was visualizing the baby moving down into the birth canal. It made the contractions feel like they were serving a purpose and made then seem quicker.
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What position did you end up delivering in?
I delivered while squatting.
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
It was a relief to finally be holding my baby after all that work!
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What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
My advice to other moms is to read the book Ina May's Guide to Childbirth. It really helped to read all those women's stories. They gave me ideas about how to get through the "rushes" of labor (contractions) so that they would be more bearable.
