-
When did you realize you were really in labor?
After 12+ hours of contractions that were 6 minutes apart
-
What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
Being judged by family and friends who didn’t support home birth
-
CE7E090D-7183-44AF-8BD7-84E72B23FC67
-
What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
The most helpful things I did physically to prepare for a natural home birth were seeing a chiropractor, taking a birthing class with my husband, drinking red raspberry leaf tea, and exercising daily. Spiritually I prepared by praying daily, staying in the word, and putting bible verses up where I could see them during labor.
-
What surprised you about your birth?
I had a unique labor and birth. I had a 23 hr labor. I had scar tissue on my cervix causing me to dilate very slowly. After 21 1/2 hours labor my midwife broke up the scar tissue causing me to dilate from 3.5cm to 10cm in about one hr. Then I pushed for 30 minutes and baby was out! For me, birth was by the far the hardest thing I have ever done, but it felt so natural and was so rewarding!
-
For me, birth was by the far the hardest thing I have ever done, but it felt so natural and was so rewarding!
-
What pain relief strategies worked best?
Some pain relief strategies that worked for me where sitting and moving around on my birthing ball, stretching, having my husband rub essential oils on my back, and hot rags on my stomach during transition.
-
What position did you end up delivering in?
We had a birthing tub set up, but I ended up giving birth on my bed on all fours. It’s where I felt I needed to be.
-
How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
Holding my baby girl for the first time felt completely surreal. My husband and I decided not to do any ultrasound throughout the pregnancy because we wanted the first time we saw the baby to be in my arms. Also, not finding out the sex of the baby until birth was so worth waiting for.
-
What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
Throughout pregnancy I would often worry about how my body was actually going to be able to birth a baby. All I can say is it just does! It truly is a miracle! Allowing your body to just do what God created it to do is by far the best way to go and the most rewarding!
