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When did you realize you were really in labor?
Around 3:00 a.m. I woke up to mildly uncomfortable contractions. These contractions had a much more noticeable peak, so I decided to get up and get ready for the hospital.....just in case. The contractions very quickly became stronger and closer. I had already had a cervical check several days prior at my 38 week appointment and was told at that time that I was 4-5 cm dilated and 75% effaced (but no regular contractions yet). I knew we probably did not need to wait around too long, so I woke up my husband and told him that we were going to the hospital because it was baby day!
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
Trusting my body and relaxing through the pain so that my body could do its job.
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IMG_2013
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
Stayed active. I ran and worked out throughout my pregnancy. I worked until the day before I delivered. Staying active and busy let my body do a lot of the work before I went into active labor and had those first regular contractions.
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What surprised you about your birth?
How quickly it went! When we arrived to L&D it was 7:30 a.m. I changed clothes and the nurse checked me and said I was 7 cm. By the time they hooked me up to monitors for my initial 20 minute strip, did my intake questions, and put in my saline lock, it was well after 8:00 a.m. I started to feel a lot of pressure that I could not describe. My midwife checked me at 8:38 a.m. I was 10 cm, 100% effaced, and 0 station. She broke my water and told me I could push with the next contraction. My son was born at 8:45 a.m. after only 5 minutes of pushing.
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It was amazing....the greatest miracle ever. I was so present in the experience and so blissfully happy. I have never felt more love or felt more empowered than I did right then. I knew that there was nothing I would not do for this perfect little person!
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
I tried to focus on relaxing through the contractions, because my natural reaction was to tense up. I just kept visualizing the baby moving down with each contraction and trying to keep my breathing slow and body relaxed.
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What position did you end up delivering in?
I delivered in the bed, on my back, in the typical delivery position. Due to baby's face up position and my pelvis shape, this was actually the position that I felt the least discomfort and could most easily relax throughout contractions.
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
It was amazing....the greatest miracle ever. I was so present in the experience and so blissfully happy. I have never felt more love or felt more empowered than I did right then. I knew that there was nothing I would not do for this perfect little person!
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What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
Trust your body and try to relax (hard to do...I know). I almost caved and asked for the epidural because of my fear that things were going to hurt worse once my water broke. When she checked me to break my water, I was already 10 cm. Baby was born 7 minutes later. My body did all of the work, I just needed to trust it!
