-
When did you realize you were really in labor?
After my spouse was home, farm chores were done and our oldest boy was asleep, my contractions picked up intensity and regularity and I felt like all was taken care of and I could do what my body was ready to do.
-
What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
Just being my first time giving birth I had nothing to compare it to. I read and listened to a lot of birth stories, but I didn't know how mine would play out. So I suppose the fact that I had to let go and just trust my body and my support team.
-
image1
-
What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
Lots of reading about natural birth, parenthood, postpartum,etc and talking to moms who shared my views about natural birth, breastfeeding, cloth diapering and baby wearing.
-
What surprised you about your birth?
How quickly it went. My contractions kicked in gear at 10 pm and I labored at home until 2 am, arrived at the birth center at 2:30, and my boy was born at 4:01!
-
Read, read, read! I read to inform myself and try to understand what I would experience. In the end, nothing can fully prepare you for exactly what YOU will experience but it helps to be knowledgeable about the processes to both avoid unnecessary interventions as well as to keep your fears at bay.
-
What pain relief strategies worked best?
Movement & breathing. As contraction increased in strength and intensity, I did what felt most natural, squatting, rocking on all fours and with a birthing ball. As the contractions came, I found I needed to be mentally prepared or they'd overwhelm me.
-
What position did you end up delivering in?
In the birth tub, gripping my spouses hands in a kind of squatting position.
-
How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
Exhilarating! All of a sudden the pain stopped and he was there and in my arms, covered in vernix and blood and I was shocked by how big he was and how he was here, in my arms, healthy and strong!
-
What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
Read, read, read! I read to inform myself and try to understand what I would experience. In the end, nothing can fully prepare you for exactly what YOU will experience but it helps to be knowledgeable about the processes to both avoid unnecessary interventions as well as to keep your fears at bay.
