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When did you realize you were really in labor?
About 10:30 on Sunday morning, I started having contractions 6-7 minutes apart that lasted 45-60 seconds.
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
Being mentally prepared to deal with the pain and not allowing fear to stop me from having the experience I wanted.
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
Read, read, read! I practiced yoga techniques to relax and read as many birth stories I could about others' experiences. I tried to learn as much as I could about what might happen and the different stages of labor so I knew what was ahead of me.
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What surprised you about your birth?
How easy it was! To be fair, this was my fourth birth (first natural) so my body knew what to do, but my contractions at their hardest were still every five minutes as not more than a minute long. It wasn't until my water broke that things picked up in intensity, but she was born in twenty minutes after that.
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It's so important to have a good plan going into, but know that the best plans sometimes go out the window! Don't stress about that and allow things to unfold naturally. Having a strong support system with your partner, friend, or doula is invaluable. It is hard but an experience like no other!
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
Having my husband give counter pressure or massage while I sat on a birthing ball was the best method of pain relief. Occasionally I would lay over the bed while he massaged my back for a change of positions.
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What position did you end up delivering in?
Completely unintentionally I ended up birthing on my side. I more or less feel into that position and just couldn't move out of it!
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
It was surreal. As I said this was my fourth delivery so every time has been amazing, but having it be such a joint effort between me and my husband made it even more incredible.
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What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
It's so important to have a good plan going into, but know that the best plans sometimes go out the window! Don't stress about that and allow things to unfold naturally. Having a strong support system with your partner, friend, or doula is invaluable. It is hard but an experience like no other!
