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When did you realize you were really in labor?
I had been having Braxton Hicks for about three days, some of which really started to feel like labour pains, but it kept being a false alarm and I was sick of staying home waiting for this baby to be born.
So I decided to go for ice cream with my mother. This is where my contractions started. They were gentle, but I felt like alarm bells were going off: this was it. They were barely noticeable and about 30 minutes apart, but we decided to go home, just in case.
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
The whole labour was actually quite easy. During every contraction I put myself into a meditative state and focused on my breathing, which I had learned from my yoga practice, and I felt in control of everything.
Right before transition I decided to get into the water. This was the hardest part of giving birth. Between then and the moment when I started pushing was painful. In hindsight I know that I especially started feeling pain because I knew the midwife was getting worried because she couldn't see the progression through the water, which threw me off. Once my focus was gone I really started feeling pain, which is a pity.
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
As mentioned before,moo using on my breath and immersing myself in the contractions rather than fighting them was key to a comfortable and easy labour. I could even speak and joke between contractions which was great.
The lights were dimmed, everybody whispered and I made sure to get plenty of rest between contractions. One of the midwives was still in training and she was kind enough to keep me well hydrated with a cup of water and a straw.
Most of my labour was spent with my eyes closed and I focused on what was important: letting the contractions to their job and giving birth to my baby.
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What surprised you about your birth?
This was my second child, and I was quite surprised at how quickly I progressed. I know everyone talks about this, but I never thought my son would be out in just 3 pushes. My daughter took much more than that.
Also, I think the most surprising thing in general with giving birth was that the pushing part was not the painful one. It was hard work and tiring, but not painful. I could feel the stretching, but it's not like what most people refer to as "pushing out a watermelon". All you do is push the head out, which is more the size of a mango. The rest of the body just kind of slips out in one final push.
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Holding my baby was incredible. After all that hard work and pain you really need a hug, and what better hug than that of your baby that you've waited so long to meet. It's the best reward for the hard work that I had done and the moment I held my baby all the pain was forgotten. The only thing that mattered was to protect this wonderful little being.
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
Focusing on my breath and embracing the contractions was what really helped me.
I spent most of my time on all fours or squatting, but always made sure to save my energy for the work ahead.
While pushing I found that my husband's support was invaluable. He supported me from behind so I knew I could put all my efforts into pushing. It was great to feel like I wasn't alone in this.
Also, the warm water that I delivered in was a wonderful source of pain relief. I highly recommend it. The midwife would use the shower head on my back (which is where I felt most of the pain), which was wonderfully helpful.
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What position did you end up delivering in?
In a deep squat, in the water, resting slightly backwards into my husband's arms.
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
Holding my baby was incredible. After all that hard work and pain you really need a hug, and what better hug than that of your baby that you've waited so long to meet. It's the best reward for the hard work that I had done and the moment I held my baby all the pain was forgotten. The only thing that mattered was to protect this wonderful little being.
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What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
You need to know that you can do it, because you're a strong woman and you can birth your baby.
Go in with an open mind. No matter what happens, even if you end up needing an emergency procedure, it's ok. Your body just made a baby and that is something you can be very proud of, no matter what happens.
Also, make sure you don't let anyone tell you their birth stories, unless they were positive. So many women have had bad experiences, either out of bad luck or bad medical care. You need to know that all births are different and your attitude makes a huge difference. You need to know that birth doesn't have to be a bad experience if you don't want it to. My experiences were both magical and yours can be too. The key to a good child birth is to be fearless and go in head first.
It wasn't until I had my first baby that I understood why Spartan women had the status of a warrior after giving birth to a baby. So put on your warrior paint and get going mama, and show the world how awesome you are!
