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When did you realize you were really in labor?
After an hour of mild and random cramps, I began to have intense contractions every 5 minutes or less. They were long and right after one other, so we immediately called my mother in law to come watch our other 2 kids and we headed to the hospital, and not a minute too soon! After a 40 minute drive to the hospital they checked me right away and I was already 9cm!
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
The pain and energy needed right at the very end was the most challenging thing with this labor. After my water broke the pain with each contraction was so intense. Pushing is no joke either! Once I started pushing I realized that I had to go all-in on every push, if I didn't I felt the intense pain of the contraction and was exhausted from pushing. It's so true when they say "push through the pain!" Once I started pushing with all my might I didn't even notice the contraction pain.
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
3 things. 1. Reading natural child birthing books and blogs, like Mama Natural, truly! These were so helpful in preparing mentally and physically for birth! 2. I also ate around 6 dates a day starting at 36 weeks and 3. I drank my red raspberry leaf tea! I am a believer that these things made for my smoothest and fastest birth yet!
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What surprised you about your birth?
How quickly it all happened (first notice of cramping/contractions to birth was a total of 4 hours), and how amazing and empowering it felt at the end holding my sweet boy on my chest.
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Your body is doing one of the most natural and beautiful things God designed it to do in labor. Yes it will be painful, but keep that end goal in mind and go along with what your body is doing, don't fight against it.
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
My husband applying pressure to my back helped during contractions. When I was contracting in the car I remembered what I read in a natural child birthing book about riding the wave of the contraction and just letting it happen. I told myself "this is what your body needs to do to have this baby, this is opening you up to meet your baby." And somehow that helped me get through them in a much more relaxed way. The mind is a powerful thing. I'm convinced that doing that really did help open me up to 9cm by the time we got to the hospital.
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What position did you end up delivering in?
I was laying on my back
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
It was incredible. It made all the pain and hard work of labor disappear.
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What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
Your body is doing one of the most natural and beautiful things God designed it to do in labor. Yes it will be painful, but keep that end goal in mind and go along with what your body is doing, don't fight against it. Listen to affirmations in labor or have your partner encourage you, or you tell them to yourself. Your mind is incredibly powerful. Stay positive and know you can do it.