-
When did you realize you were really in labor?
Around midnight (on Monday) I started having contractions that were more uncomfortable than the Braxton Hicks I was used to. I had lost parts of my mucus plug and had bloody show over the weekend. They became more intense and by 1am I realized that his must be it! They were still quite irregular, between 5 and 10 minutes apart so I baked some cookies for the midwives, cleaned my house, and texted my family. By 8:30am, my doula arrived and I had dilated to 4 cm.
-
What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
I felt like I didn't get to mentally and emotionally participate as fully as I would have if I had had some kind of pain relief. I pretty much went limp and rested between contractions and couldn't communicate, focus, or appreciate the experience. That WAS my experience though, and I feel completely satisfied with my decision.
After the birth, I needed stitches for tearing and an episiotomy and was not given any numbing or analgesic (standard practice in the developing country I delivered in!) I wish I could have taken that 45 minutes immediately after delivery to spend with my baby, instead of dealing with the unexpected intensity of getting stitched up.
-
19238754_10155065752567400_1400246886_o
-
What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
Read almost every article on Mama Natural! I accepted early on that the birth would be incredibly intense and painful, and once I accepted that, I could practice the breathing patterns, affirmations, and stretches that I thought would be helpful (and absolutely were!) I drank red raspberry leaf tea after 20 weeks, ate dates daily, and took EPO for the last month. My doula was shocked at how thin and pliable my cervix was- I recommend dates to everybody now!
My husband was an amazing support and made me smile and laugh and didn't leave my side for the 20 hours of labor. He read me affirmations, made a playlist of our favorite music, and advocated for the kind of delivery we wanted. His was the only voice I really listened to when it came time to push and he knew just what to say to help me breathe and relax.
I worked on my feet, ran until 39 weeks (I have been a runner for years) and stretched daily. I didn't have any back pain, swelling, or insomnia throughout the pregnancy and attribute most of that to being active everyday (and pregnancy hormones were kind to me!) I approached labor like preparing for a marathon: I wanted to be as prepared as I possibly could.
-
What surprised you about your birth?
How I responded to the rushes. I closed my eyes and focused on breathing for about 70% of the labor. I thought I might be more alert and engaged but by the time I delivered I had been awake for 40+ hours and had almost nothing left but a primal strength that was just enough to push/breathe/grunt Baby out.
-
My first thoughts were, "It's perfect! How did this happen?! We did it and I'm so proud of us! I want to have more babies! That wasn't as bad as I expected!" After the euphoric delirium wore off and the stitching started, I still stand by the first three.
-
What pain relief strategies worked best?
Prayer, breathing, changing positions, walking, surrendering to the rushes and trying not to tense up, and towards the end, low moans, breathing out through horse lips, and my husband's and friends' reassuring voices.
-
What position did you end up delivering in?
On my back. I had wanted to deliver on my hands and knees, but when it came time to push, I felt too weak and limp between rushes to even turn on my side! Looking back, I'm glad I was able to use every moment between rushes to relax.
-
How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
My first thoughts were, "It's perfect! How did this happen?! We did it and I'm so proud of us! I want to have more babies! That wasn't as bad as I expected!" After the euphoric delirium wore off and the stitching started, I still stand by the first three.
I didn't even think to ask her gender until she had been on my chest for a few minutes. I was so caught up in laughing/crying to consider it! The whole experience felt miraculous. If I didn't believe in God and know He loves us before having a baby, I would now!
-
What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
I love this analogy- if I owned a million-dollar race horse and it was going to run in the Kentucky Derby in 9 months, how would I treat it? I would do as much research as possible, feed it the best food, make sure it slept and exercised so it could be in the absolute best condition for the race. We're worth so much more and should treat ourselves like it!
