Reading, Listening Birth Affirmations And Hypnobirthing Techniques Helped Julia Achieve Natural Hospital Birth

When did you realize you were really in labor?

At 3 AM Sunday morning, I was awoken by intermittent period cramps. I did some deep meditative breaths until I fell back asleep. I did not awaken my husband because I was managing the discomfort. At 6 am I woke my husband up and we breathed through the contractions all day until I called our doula at 7 PM. She came to the house and we labored at home until 10 PM when I made the decision that I wanted to go to the hospital. When I arrived at the hospital and was checked for cervical dialation, I was 7 centimeters dilated.

What was the most challenging thing about going natural?

The ring of fire, which not everyone experiences, was physically challenging for me, as it was a burning sensation that I wasn’t really prepared for. My sister delivered 3 boys naturally and didn’t experience the feeling with any of the births, so I know it doesn’t happen to everyone.

What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?

The most helpful thing to prepare for childbirth was listening to birth affirmations, reading the affirmation cards, and practicing hypnobirthing breathing techniques. The staff at the hospital were in absolute awe of how I managed to labor. They all thought I must have a high pain threshold when that is not the case at all. I was focused on believing that my only job at that moment was to breathe deep and let my body birth my baby, just as it was designed to do. Breathing was the absolute key.

What surprised you about your birth?

I knew that if I could go natural I’d feel proud of myself. I wasn’t prepared to feel like a superhero. I feel like I can accomplish anything now and I’m forever changed by the experience. I trained for something that I had no control over; only God knew how the delivery would end. Despite not knowing what the outcome would be, I trained as if I did, I accomplished my goal, and now I wonder what else could I achieve if I trained for months?

One of the most helpful things was hearing all the women say, “if I can doit, you can do it”, because now that’s how I feel. I’m not a physically strong person and I don’t have a high pain threshold at all. But I did train for months on my breathing and my affirmations and with the support of my husband, I was able to deliver our baby naturally.

What pain relief strategies worked best?

Early on in labor, walking during my contractions helped me labor. I arrived to the hospital at 7 cm dilated, so at home up until that point, laying in my bed with one leg hanging and my doula massaging my back relieved my discomfort. At the hospital, while I dilated to 10 cm, deep breathing and listening to my affirmations helped me cope with discomfort.

How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?

Holding Luciana for the first time and kissing my husband made me feel like we had achieved the highest award in life. We, as a team, won the gold medal. We had all trained and rehearsed how it was going to go and we each played our role. I felt proud of myself but also proud of my husband and baby for each doing their part.

What did you name your baby, and why?

My daughter is named after the first black college Dean of Women, Lucy Diggs Slowe. She taught young black women how to be leaders. She worked during the era where colleges were segregated but she never viewed the problems women had earning respect as “black” problems; she viewed them as problems that all women faced. My daughter is named Luciana, and Ana is my middle name. I want my daughter to grow up to be strong, poised, intelligent, and collaborative like Lucy Diggs Slowe.

How did the Mama Natural Birth Class help you in your childbirth?

I learned all about the process of labor and got to watch many positive, unmedicated births. One of the most helpful things was hearing all the women say, “if I can doit, you can do it”, because now that’s how I feel. I’m not a physically strong person and I don’t have a high pain threshold at all. But I did train for months on my breathing and my affirmations and with the support of my husband, I was able to deliver our baby naturally.