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When did you realize you were really in labor?
My mucus plug came out just before I went to bed... I spent half an hour researching to confirm that that's what it was, and to confirm it didn't necessarily mean labor would start anytime soon. About an hour after falling asleep, I woke up with strong cramping in my lower abdomen and back, and thought it was a contraction. When they kept happening, I knew it was labor!
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
Not knowing how things were progressing! For some reason, possibly my baby's positioning, my contractions never got consistently regular, even towards the end. I had almost 24 hours of contractions, sometimes getting regular before becoming irregular again, before my water broke. I knew that to have a more "natural" option in the hospital, I needed to stay home as long as possible, but it was hard to have 6 minute apart contractions for an hour, only to then have a 10 minute spacing and not know what that meant. Especially after my water broke and they got so much stronger!
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
Reading 'Mindful Birthing' by Nancy Bardacke! I didn't discover it until the end of my pregnancy, so I didn't even make it through the whole thing, just the first 8 chapters, but it was by far the best way I prepared myself to confront some of my fears, try out some ideas for mindfully addressing the pain, and prepare myself to let go of the outcome.
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What surprised you about your birth?
It felt like it went so quickly. My whole labor took about 30 hours, with 2 hours of pushing, but even with most of my contractions being between 5 - 10 minutes apart, it felt like the time flew by.
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Go with the flow! Things that sound great to you before-hand may feel awful in the moment.
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
Mindful breathing, relaxing and not fighting the contractions; having my husband push against my hips from behind (I had strong back cramps for every contractions); a few times I took a hot shower and it was amazing.
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What position did you end up delivering in?
On my back pulling against my legs and curling into my stomach, though the bottom half of the bed was lowered. I'd missed out on 2 nights of sleep, and was so tired I couldn't hold any other position and still have energy to push.
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
Strange! My husband says I was so excited, but all I can remember feeling is "oh my God, what just happened, this is my baby?"
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What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
Even though we didn't spend much time with her during the birth, I loved having my doula. I definitely needed her energy by the time we met up with her at the hospital. She was also an invaluable support while we were laboring at home--we were able to call and text with her giving updates, and she was able to advise us on course of action and how things sounded like they were progressing, avoiding an unnecessarily early trip to the hospital. Also, if possible, finding a healthcare provider that wants natural for you as well--I used a hospital that has about as many midwives as OBs, and though they still are required to follow certain hospital protocols, they were forthcoming about potential interventions that might occur if I chose certain courses of action (ex. going into the hospital as soon as my water broke). And go with the flow! Things that sound great to you before-hand may feel awful in the moment (I'd really wanted to labor in the tub, but at soon as I got in I hated it!)
