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When did you realize you were really in labor?
I was trying to do homework when I kept getting little stomach cramps. At this point my due date had come and gone, so I was anxiously waiting for any sign of labor to start. I timed the 'cramps' (which were so mild that it was difficult to even recognize each one) and they were 4 minutes apart, lasting about 45 seconds to a minute each. And this lasted for the next 15 hours. So I called the hospital and they said to come in and get monitored. I had just been there the day before and they sent me home, so this time they kept me for an hour to monitor any sign of change. I was already dilated to 5 cm, but no change within the hour monitoring period. So they were going to send me home, or they said they would break my water and see what happened. We chose to stay, they broke my water, and that is when the hard labor began.
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
The most challenging thing about going natural for me was the fear of not knowing what it would be like or how much pain I would have to endure and how long I would have to endure it for.
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
The most helpful thing for me was any research I did on my own. That information really stuck, and reading other mamas stories of natural labor and childbirth were so helpful and encouraging. They helped me to know more of what to expect during labor so I knew what was happening was normal.
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What surprised you about your birth?
After my water was broken, it only took a half hour for contractions to REALLY hurt. About an hour later while enduring agonizing labor pains I prayed silently to God asking for help and encouragement through it all. Something amazingly spiritual happened, and I was comforted and all of a sudden I knew it wouldn't be long. The nurse checked me and said I was only at 8.5 cm. I told her I had to push, NOW. She told me I couldn't yet, but my body knew and I pushed anyway. My husband got ready to catch the baby since the nurse went running for the doctor. The doctor made it JUST in time and out came my big nine and a half pound baby girl after less than two hours of hard labor. I felt so amazing after she was finally born and from doing it on my own. The experience was so wonderful, and finally I had the birth experience I had always hoped for with my third baby.
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What really helped me, especially when things got really scary, was to remember to take the fear and turn it to focus. It was almost a mantra for me the whole time.
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
Changing positions and being on all fours helped me to be the most comfortable. When I would find a sweet spot I would stay there until it wasn't working anymore, then we would work to find something else to bring me comfort.
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What position did you end up delivering in?
I began pushing while on all fours, but the doctor made me flip onto my back in the end. This is the downside to having a hospital birth when you want the freedom to do what you feel comfortable with in a natural birth.
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
Chaos ensued after my baby was delivered. I have had hemorrhaging issues with all three of my deliveries, and each one worse than the last. The doctors were panicking and my husband knew what to do. As the doctors were fussing about my husband whipped his shirt off and took the baby for immediate skin to skin time. I didn't get to really enjoy holding my baby those first moments, but watching my husband as he remembered what the plan was in case of this very situation and get that bonding time with our baby girl right away was so awesome.
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What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
What really helped me, especially when things got really scary, was to remember to take the fear and turn it to focus. It was almost a mantra for me the whole time. Fear to Focus. Fear into Focus. It kept me from freaking out, kept me focused on my job, and ultimately we made it to the end and had an amazing birth experience.
