Reading Birth Stories, Researching, Praying And Staying Positive Helped Elizabeth During Her Home Birth

When did you realize you were really in labor?

I had been having inconsistent contractions the previous day into the night and when I woke up in the morning at 8 am from a contraction I felt like “this is it!” My midwife came at 1 pm.

What was the most challenging thing about going natural?

Convincing family it was our choice
How long and painful it was, I was in labor for 16 hours including an hour and a half pushing. I was expecting shorter easier labor with my second.

What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?

Read pain-free childbirth by Nissa Andrews, and wrote affirmations and Bible verses. Ate dates and pineapple for the last 4 weeks. Read a lot of home birth stories.

What surprised you about your birth?

We found out I had a partial placental previa while I was pushing and my son was getting stuck on part of it. I pushed for over an hour and a half. My midwife finally pushed it out of the way. We did have an ambulance come but were able to birth him at home with the EMTs there just in case. My son's heart tones dipped dangerously low during each push but would recover in between. We had only had one ultrasound at 6 weeks and our midwife had thought the placenta was up on the top of the uterus by listening with a Doppler so we had no thought of any kind of risk. It was the only placenta previa birth my midwife had ever assisted. If we had found out earlier I had this condition we probably would’ve been made to have a c-section.

Birth is one of the hardest things but you got this mama!

What pain relief strategies worked best?

Massage
Counter pressure
Shaking my buttocks up and down
On my hands and knees saying forwards and backwards

How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?

I couldn’t stop saying “my baby! We have a son!” We had waited to find out the sex and we have a girl so it was super exciting to have a boy. But just knowing he was finally out, labor was over and he was ok was pure elation.

What did you name your baby, and why?

My husband and I have both liked the name Isaac, which means “he will laugh”, even before we met each other. It’s a very joyous name!

What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?

Read a lot of positive birth stories. Research everything. Pray over your pregnancy and birth! Stay positive! Have people around you who believe in you! Birth is one of the hardest things but you got this mama!