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When did you realize you were really in labor?
A week after my guess date, I went to bed around 10 PM, and woke up around 11 PM with consistent contractions. I was trying to time them, but I wasn't very good at that. I asked my husband, Tim, to come home from work, and he was so excited - almost giddy.
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
I don't like to associate the word "pain" with labor, buuuut... it was pretty agonizing. It was incredibly fast (I pushed him out in four minutes!), and I felt like that was a mercy from God.
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
I saw a chiropractor regularly to help with ligament pain and do the Webster's technique; I think that put the baby in the perfect position. I also practiced meditations on positive things, like "open," "God is here with me and helping me," and "You're going to meet your baby soon - this will be over soon." I took homeopathic remedies to prepare for labor, too.
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What surprised you about your birth?
How fast it was! It was about 7 hours total, and I pushed him out in 4 minutes. I was so glad! And so pleased with the little boy they laid in front of me. I was planning on having a volunteer doula and a water birth, but there was no time to arrange for the doula and no time to get in the tub!
It also surprised me how scared I was. I had been through this before - why was I so scared of the pain, and what was going to happen? As the contractions grew stronger, I asked my nurse Claire (who was a doula for five years previous to becoming a nurse), "Can you tell me not to be scared?" She told me, "I'm not going to tell you not to be scared. You don’t have to feel bad about feeling scared. Being scared is a normal part of this process. I will tell you that you have nothing to be scared of." That gave me such comfort! It was exactly what I needed to hear.
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She told me, "I'm not going to tell you not to be scared. You don’t have to feel bad about feeling scared. Being scared is a normal part of this process. I will tell you that you have nothing to be scared of." That gave me such comfort! It was exactly what I needed to hear.
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
Moving around with the contractions (moving my hips a lot to stay comfortable through the contractions), and doing my best to relax in between the contractions. I remember getting through one contraction and feeling so relaxed; I knew it was like a runner’s high, and that my body was being flooded with endorphins, and I knew that those were natural painkillers that my body would soon need, so I tried to store up that feeling.
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What position did you end up delivering in?
All fours.
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
He was so soft! When I first saw him laying on the bed, I was a bit in a daze. But as soon as I touched his soft skin, I fell in love.
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What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
Read lots of positive birth stories!!!
