-
When did you realize you were really in labor?
Contractions started right before bedtime - when the second one came and followed that telltale trajectory, getting stronger and then weaker, I was pretty sure this was for real. When those kept coming through the night, I was more certain, but strangely, they remained 30-90 minutes apart, and didn't get closer. That is, until 6 hours later, when suddenly, though contractions were still 12-15 minutes apart, I was suddenly in active labor. My husband was the one who insisted we go to the hospital - and a good thing he did because about 5 minutes later I was in transition! In the mile and a half to the hospital (racing down the street at 6am), I dilated to 10 cm, and my son was born 37 minutes later.
-
What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
Both of my natural births had a moment when I yelled, "I can't do this!" That's a hard place to be, for someone who is normally so confident. For most of labor, I felt like a strong warrior, but in that moment, I felt so helpless and desperate. I had gotten his head out, and feeling like a well-deserved rest was in order, and when they said I had to keep pushing without a rest, I wanted to cry. Ok, I did cry a little. :) But then I felt all those little limbs come out, and everything was amazing again, and I felt like the strongest woman on earth. And what reward for my labors!
-
15401176_10101412404092674_7778368427987117520_n
-
What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
I went to prenatal yoga classes. It showed me what positions felt good for my body, and how to breathe deeply, so that whenever I felt a contraction that night, I knew just what position to hop up into to get through the contraction, breathing all the while, and then relaxed back down into sleep. As a result, it was not nearly as stressful a night as it could have been, and I actually did feel fairly rested by the end of the night.
-
What surprised you about your birth?
My body knew just what to do. I knew just how to position myself to breathe through the early contractions so they were quite manageable, I knew the precise moment when to start pushing, and I could visualize where he was in my body and how I needed to get him out. At one point, when I heard someone say, "Just get out of her way, she knows what to do," I felt like a combination of a "wonderfully made" creature and a superhero!
-
Go to prenatal yoga. Get a doula. BREATHE. Move. Trust your body. Trust your instincts. And if you are a person of faith, trust your God, who made women's bodies and spirits so incredible to be able to pull this off! Also, remember: this is pain with a purpose.
-
What pain relief strategies worked best?
Breathing, of course, and in early labor it was sort of swaying back and forth while on my hands and knees, which helped my hips feel really open and relaxed.
-
What position did you end up delivering in?
I did most of my pushing on my knees with back to the doctor (which is how I delivered my first), but due to the postion of the baby, they had me finish off the delivery on my back, pulling my knees toward my chest.
-
How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
Like I was meeting an old friend. :) I think I said, "Oh, hi baby!" He was warm and slippery and wonderful.
-
What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
Go to prenatal yoga. Get a doula. BREATHE. Move. Trust your body. Trust your instincts. And if you are a person of faith, trust your God, who made women's bodies and spirits so incredible to be able to pull this off! Also, remember: this is pain with a purpose.
