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When did you realize you were really in labor?
Throughout the day, I had contractions but they weren't regular. These contractions were different than the Braxton Hicks ones so I started to pay attention to them. Even though I knew I was in labor, I tried not to tip anyone off, including my husband, because I didn't want to jinx myself. By evening, I couldn't hide it any longer and told my husband that I may be in labor. We tried to get some rest but I wasn't able to sleep through these contractions. I decided to start timing them and realized that these contractions were getting closer and closer at a fast rate. We live an hour from the hospital and this was my third baby so when I timed them to be about 1-3 minutes apart, I woke my husband up. He told me to call my OBGYN but I already knew that she would have me come in, so I started to pack up and head to the hospital.
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
The mind is a powerful thing and I think in the beginning, I doubted my ability to be able to get thru a natural labor. My last two deliveries were induced and I had an epidural with both. The most challenging part for me this time was just getting out of my head and trusting myself and my body.
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
After realizing how fearful I was of the natural birthing process, I started to research everything. Knowledge is power and I certainly could learn a few things. I bought a natural birthing book and researched tons of different birthing methods. It really helped me to know the stages of labor and how my body would react. The more I researched and learned, the more confident I felt. My husband started to watch videos and he spent a lot of time researching ways to help me thru labor, which made him feel confident as well. His support and dedication to a natural birth meant so much to me.
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What surprised you about your birth?
The biggest surprise was that it wasn't as painful and unbearable as I thought it would be. I told myself that I just had to get thru THIS contraction. I never looked past the current contraction. I just focused on getting thru the current one. Having this mindset, I was able to breathe thru my contractions with no problem and stay focused. I surprised myself with each contraction and truly felt like a super hero. I was in disbelief at how well I was handling each wave and it gave me more and more confidence for the next one.
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Holding my little baby is a feeling I will never be able to truly explain. There were so many emotions that I was feeling all at once. I felt so much love and happiness as they placed him on my chest but I also felt so relieved that the hard part was over. I also felt an overwhelming feeling of pride. I couldn't believe that I had just done what I had told myself was impossible-a completely drug free, natural birth.
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
I stayed upright the entire time. I tried the birthing ball and it made my contractions too painful. When I was standing, I held onto a railing in the hospital bathroom and just rocked back and forth, I was able to work thru the contractions with no problem. With every contraction, I stayed quiet and recited the Hail Mary prayer. It lasted just long enough to take me to the end of my contraction, kept me focused and provided me a sense of calm.
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What position did you end up delivering in?
I delivered on my back in bed. It wasn't ideal because the minute I was told to get in bed, I no longer felt my contractions or felt the urge to push. It was like everything stopped. It only took four minutes to deliver but it felt like an eternity and like I wasn't making any progress any more.
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
Holding my little baby is a feeling I will never be able to truly explain. There were so many emotions that I was feeling all at once. I felt so much love and happiness as they placed him on my chest but I also felt so relieved that the hard part was over. I also felt an overwhelming feeling of pride. I couldn't believe that I had just done what I had told myself was impossible-a completely drug free, natural birth.
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What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH. Don't let fear drive your decisions. Trust that your body was built for this and that you, as a woman, are stronger than you know. The inner strength that you will find along this journey is incredible. Be confident in yourself because you can do this. This is what you were born to do.
