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When did you realize you were really in labor?
A little after midnight on Friday, November 17th, I woke up to a light cramping sensation that was coming on about every ten minutes. After an hour of laying in bed, I left my husband in the bedroom to sleep and I went into the living room to keep myself distracted. At around 7:30 AM, my husband woke up and came in to check on me and we realized that my contractions were now at 5 minutes apart. Upon realizing that my contractions were consistent and growing closer together, I knew I was actually in labor!
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
The most challenging aspect of having a natural birth was keeping my body rested and hydrated throughout all the stages of labor. During the first 8 hours of labor, the contractions were tolerable so I was able to rest, drink water, and have nutritional snacks. However, as labor progressed and the pain intensified, I really struggled mentally to keep myself in bed, close my eyes, or keep food and water down. Thankfully, my husband was by my side all day and continued to encourage me to stay in bed and eat/drink as often as possible. Without his constant encouragement, I may have become too exhausted or dehydrated to make it through a full 24 hours of laboring!
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Brooklyn-Birth
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
The most helpful thing I did to prepare for childbirth was strengthening my mind and preparing myself to have a fear-free, positive, natural birth! Several times a day, I would speak affirmations over my birth and pregnancy. When I realized labor was beginning, I honestly was not afraid! I felt encouraged and strong in my mind and body and I was convinced that I was going to have a completely natural, non-medicated birth, which I did! Labor really is a huge mental game, in my opinion, and I don't believe I would have been able to make it through to transition if I hadn't prepared my mind during pregnancy.
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What surprised you about your birth?
The most surprising aspect of my birth was how it was such a team effort. I needed my husband by my side to walk me through each change and progression in labor. During active labor, I began to get scared because I threw up several times, but thankfully my husband and midwife were staying in touch and were able to keep me encouraged that it was normal! Because my husband and midwife worked together so closely, they made sure I stayed home as long as possible rather than rushing to the birth center too early. When we arrived at the birth center, I was fully dilated and effaced and ready to push! Finally, after almost 20 hours of laboring, my contractions were still only 4-5 minutes apart and I began to want to give up because I felt I wasn't progressing. When I was mentally giving in, my doula showed up and talked me through each contraction, which caused my contractions to quicken and within two hours of her arrival, I was ready to push! I could not have made it through successfully without my amazing support team!
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Be convinced that your body was created for this process and that you do not have to be afraid! Birth is an intense experience, both physically and mentally, so surround yourself with those who support you and believe what you believe!
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
For me, it came down to focusing on deep, rhythmic breathing to help me through the pain. I struggled to find a good position to assist with the pain, but focusing on deep breaths really helped me to mentally overcome the pain. I also found myself falling into a rhythm of speaking the same affirmations during the contractions, which helped me through the contractions as well.
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What position did you end up delivering in?
I ended up delivering on the bed on my back, slightly on my side.
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
Holding my baby for the first time was a mixture of overwhelming love, excitement, and relief that we did it! Our daughter had her eyes wide open, looking around, and eventually locked eyes with her daddy. I knew, in that moment, that she was able to be so alert because I made it through labor without any medicine. I felt so proud and thankful to be able to bring her into this world in such a healthy, alert state and that I was able to remember every moment of the labor and delivery.
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What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
The greatest advice I could give to any mama who wants to go natural is to be prepared mentally and see yourself having the birth you desire. Be convinced that your body was created for this process and that you do not have to be afraid! Birth is an intense experience, both physically and mentally, so surround yourself with those who support you and believe what you believe!
