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When did you realize you were really in labor?
We were planning on staying home to have baby. I woke up at 3am and felt a few contractions, pretty close together, but then I fell back to sleep. I woke up at 4, had a few more strong contractions and felt small gushes of fluid with each one, so I got up to go to the bathroom. When I went to the bathroom, I passed a clot the size of my fist and was bleeding bright red blood, so I immediately called my midwife. I was advised to go to the hospital (we live an hour and a half from the hospital, and our home birth midwife lives about 10 minutes from the hospital). So I (very quickly) packed a bag, woke my husband and son and we got in the car. It was, of course, snowing like mad. He's a cop, so fortunately, he has decent training in how to drive haha. My water broke during the drive, and I was having contractions every 3-5 minutes, each lasting about a minute long. I called my sister and mom to meet us there, my mom so she could take the toddler and my sister because she's my doula. I continued to bleed throughout the drive and was freaking out a bit, but since I could feel baby moving every once in awhile, was keeping it together fairly well. When we (finally) got to the hospital, my midwife there examined me and said I was at a 9 (yay!), so I was immediately admitted and then I labored another FOUR HOURS before my daughter was born. She was posterior, so I had a lot of back pain, but counter pressure on my hips helped tremendously. The hospital we went to is WONDERFUL. They let me labor how I wanted to, helped support my decision for no medications, and were very gentle. When I finally felt like I needed to push, I only pushed twice, and she came out all at once on the second push! I thought it was funny - nobody (including the midwife!) was ready! My midwife barely had time to put her arm out so that baby didn't slide right off the bed (I was laying on my side). Her cord was wrapped twice around her neck, but that was quickly fixed and she cried immediately. I did hemorrhage pretty heavily afterwards, and was given Pitocin. She was skin to skin for the first hour and a half, delayed cord clamping, placenta encapsulation, no bath, no vaccines or interventions of any kind. 5lb, 12oz. 19in long :) She's beautiful and perfect :)
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
Since this was my second time going all natural, I knew I could do it and it wasn't that bad. I didn't even ask for meds this time lol. But the first time, transition was definitely the worst. I just *knew* that I couldn't do it and was so ready to give in. This time, I knew what that feeling meant - baby was almost here!
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Evie
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
Preparing mentally, telling myself that I could do it, that I was capable and strong.
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What surprised you about your birth?
How little she was! She was two weeks early, but still SO much smaller than we were expecting.
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You can do it! Surround yourself with people who support you, and trust yourself, your body and your baby.
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
Movement, lavender oil, picturing the contractions as waves, low deep sounds.
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What position did you end up delivering in?
Lying on my side
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
It's weird, you're holding this tiny stranger that somehow you've known your whole life :)
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What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
You can do it! Surround yourself with people who support you, and trust yourself, your body and your baby.
