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When did you realize you were really in labor?
I had a couple days of prodromal labor, so on the evening of my due date when I was having contractions I was hesitant to get excited. I went to sleep for just a little while until it was 11:30 PM and I had a contraction come that ended with a drop/pop feeling in my pelvis. One minute later I felt my water leaking and let my husband know that this was it. Very shortly after that, my contractions began to pick up in intensity and I knew I needed to have the midwives and doula head my way.
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
The most challenging thing was getting mentally prepared. I switched from hospital birth to a home birth at 34 weeks and felt great about my decision. After that I soaked in all the information I could that would help my trust in my body's natural ability to birth.
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
I found it helpful to read positive birth stories (thanks Mama Natural for having a place to come for that). I also really enjoyed reading the book Supernatural Childbirth. In the weeks leading up to my due date, I ate my dates, red raspberry leaf tea and went for chiropractic adjustments. The most helpful thing, however, was praying and giving my birth to God; trusting that He would give me the desires of my heart for this experience.
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What surprised you about your birth?
I was surprised by how quickly it went. From the time my water started leaking to baby being born, it was a little less than 7 hours. I was also surprised by the way pushing felt this time compared to my previous epidural birth. I delivered in the birth tub and only pushed for 9 minutes. However, I shouldn't have been surprised because it was exactly what I had prayed for.
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Give it over to the Lord; invite Him to be directly and intimately involved in your birth experience.
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
Listening to my labor playlist (mostly the same two praise and worship songs over and over) helped me immensely. I kept my headphones on the entire time until I got in the birth tub. Rocking on my birth ball, leaning on my birth ball, and "slow dancing" with my hubby was great also. As long as I had my music to listen to, my husband or doula to hold on to, and concentrated on my breathing it was all pretty manageable. The only time that got tough for me was transition and right before pushing.
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What position did you end up delivering in?
I delivered her head while on my knees in the birth tub, then instinctively flipped over to deliver the rest of her leaning back against the tub.
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
It was so amazing to have this tiny little girl placed on my chest, all the hard work over with. She came up out of the water so peacefully and we got to really enjoy looking at her and soaking it all in without the typical rushing around like in a hospital. I was so glad to finally have her in my arms.
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What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
Trust that your body knows what to do. Find a good doula. And if you're a Christian, give it over to the Lord; invite Him to be directly and intimately involved in your birth experience.
