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When did you realize you were really in labor?
I had a lot of start/stop contractions this time, so when my contractions were about 5 minutes apart and lasting 45 seconds, I called the midwife. They weren't very intense, so being checked by my midwife was the only way to know how things were progressing.
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
I had two natural home births. The hardest part was probably the speed of this one. 25 minutes after my water broke she was born. Things didn't slowly build up, it was very suddenly hard to manage the contractions.
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
Research and communication. My husband and I had my birth plans written out early on and had already spoken to the midwives about them before birth. Communicating with them put us at ease and gave us a pretty good idea at how things would go.
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What surprised you about your birth?
The midwives. This time around I went with a different clinic. They were very verbal about how "safe" I was and how "able" I was. At one point, I couldn't handle the contractions and I just started screaming. Very quickly the backup midwife was squeezing my arm and just repeating over and over again that I was safe and I was doing it. That I was one contraction closer to meeting my baby. It was really comforting and helped bring me back to concentrating on breathing and pushing.
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Research all of your options and write out your birth plan before 3rd trimester. Communicate with your midwives/doctors at all times... they are always ready to accommodate your needs... but you have to communicate with them!
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
Standing and walking helped me the most. I remember walking through most of my contractions on my tip toes... sometimes swaying. But being upright was definitely how I felt most comfortable.
Also, I remember having my husband at my face. Eye contact and mocking his breathing helped me to keep in control.
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What position did you end up delivering in?
I was on all fours on the bed. At one point I was only on my knees, with my hands pressed against the wall. But I was on all fours when she was born.
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
Relieving. I remember being surprised that it had only been 25 minutes from the time they broke my water and the time she was born. It seemed like hours... so I was very relieved.
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What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
Research all of your options and write out your birth plan before 3rd trimester. Communicate with your midwives/doctors at all times... they are always ready to accommodate your needs... but you have to communicate with them!
