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When did you realize you were really in labor?
I began having regular contractions between 3:00 and 4:00 in the morning on a Sunday. I tried to just lie in bed and rest since they were still mild at the time, but by 4:30, I was too excited to keep resting, so I got up and took a shower and went ahead and put the final items in my hospital bag. I spent all day at home until about 8:45 that evening when my contractions picked up in intensity. The timing between the contractions had been kind of sporadic all day, but I knew it was time to head to the hospital when making it through the contractions really took my full concentration. When I arrived at the hospital, I was dilated 5 cm and we discovered that my water had been slowly leaking. It was hard to tell, though, because I had been peeing so much throughout the day and it always felt like pee and not anything more. I feel like I learned two really important things during this early stage of labor: 1) Really try to take it easy and rest as much as possible. I took walks and stayed on my feet in anticipation of having to leave for the hospital really quickly. Because I was induced with my first child and because so many people had said that your second child comes much faster, I had no idea that the early stage of labor could last so long. A key thing I know now is to conserve energy during this phase. 2) The second thing I learned is not to base knowing when to go to the hospital on the time between contractions. There were times throughout that day where contractions came regularly 5-8 minutes apart or even a 3-4 minutes apart, but they were mild and I could easily talk through them. I think a better way to judge when to leave for the hospital and when you're in active labor is not timing the contractions so much as focusing on their intensity--at least for me. When they took more of my energy and focus to get through, that's when I knew it was time to head to the hospital.
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
Even though labor began for me early on Sunday morning, I didn't end up delivering until 7:33 the following Monday morning. It was challenging to go through the harder phases of labor all throughout the night. I thought the labor was move a lot faster, but my daughter seemed to want to take her sweet time. When I entered the transition phase, I had a few contractions that made me think I was going to throw up, but luckily I didn't. Then, I felt like I had hit a wall when it came time to push because I was just so exhausted, both physically and mentally. However, with the encouragement of my doctor and nurses and my husband, I was able to power through and make it through the pushing phase within 40 minutes.
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Sarah-Birth-Photo
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
I loved reading the whole throughout my pregnancy! I think reading the affirmations were helpful. I listened to some Hypnobirthing CDs, which I think helped me become more mindful of the sensations in my body and how I could manage the pain through deep breathing and relaxation techniques. I prepared a playlist of my favorite songs to listen to while in labor, and that was probably my most favorite thing--listening to and moving with my music while I walked the floor of my room during labor. I also regularly exercised and stayed active throughout my pregnancy, which I think greatly helped in preparing my body for childbirth as well. Lastly, I kept an open mind and didn't place too many expectations on myself. I believed I could deliver naturally, but I also realized that if I needed something to manage the pain, then that would be okay too. I knew God would take me through my labor and delivery and that no matter what, it would go perfectly, just the way it was meant to, whatever form that might take.
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What surprised you about your birth?
I was surprised by the length of my labor with this being my second child. However, I had my first child six years ago and I was induced, so it had been a while since my body had gone through that process--and it had never gone through the process naturally. I was also amazed at how wonderful I felt afterward! I felt very empowered, energized, relaxed, and content. It was truly an amazing mountaintop-type experience! I felt like I could feel all the things as opposed to having to come off of pain medication. I was also so grateful to have been able to move around during my labor rather than being confined to bed. Also, during pushing, it helped so much for me to be able to get on my knees and lean over the back of my bed and push some that way; just through those few pushes, I could feel my daughter come down more in the birth canal, and it only took a few more rounds of pushes on my back to then deliver her. Again, the whole process was amazing, and I could not be more thankful that I was willing to try delivering naturally and succeeding ?
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There's nothing like getting to hold your baby for the first time. It was amazing to hold my daughter in my arms and look at every inch of her :)
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
Just being able to walk the floor of my hospital room was most helpful. I would stop and sway through the contractions as they came. I used a birthing ball as well, which felt nice and gave me some relief from standing and walking. Actually, for me, the birthing ball slowed the contractions and decreased their intensity slightly, so sitting on the ball and rocking back and forth on it from time to time gave me some much-needed relief as I labored throughout the night.
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What position did you end up delivering in?
I delivered on my back. However, I did several rounds of pushes on my knees while leaning over the bed, and that helped in moving my daughter down into the birth canal more and took some of the intense pressure from my back. When I moved back over onto my back, I felt much better and more energized to do the final rounds of pushes.
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
Incredible! There's nothing like getting to hold your baby for the first time. It was amazing to hold my daughter in my arms and look at every inch of her :)
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What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
I think the best piece of advice I could give is to believe in yourself that you can do this hard thing--and that even though it's hard, it's not impossible. However, don't place so much pressure on yourself to deliver naturally that if circumstances change, you feel like you've let yourself down when things don't go exactly according to your original plans. So many of our disappointments and frustrations and judgments in our lives come from unmet expectations. Let go of your expectations for a specific type of birth or a set way things should go and instead be open to whatever comes. It's good to let your birth team know what your desires are so that they can help you achieve them, especially when times get tough, but keep an open mind to know that no matter what, the birth you are meant to have is going to happen and you will learn and grow from it.
