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When did you realize you were really in labor?
When my water broke.
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
Needing a c-section in the end because my baby's head was stuck in my pelvis and my cervix wouldn't dilate more than 5 cms. Before that, managing the pain of the contractions was the hardest part.
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
Watched videos, and familiarized myself with the process and stages of labor so I knew what was going on with me and the baby.
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What surprised you about your birth?
Besides the surprise of needing a c-section in the end, I was surprised how close together the contractions were from the beginning. I was expecting to ease into it, with time in between to chat with my husband, work on a crossword, text family and friends, etc. But within an hour of arriving at the hospital, contractions were every 2-3 minutes, lasting a minute or more each time, so I hardly had time to catch my breath in between.
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Give it all you've got, but trust your body and your instincts.
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
The warm water tub helped me relax in between contractions. During the worst contractions, leaning back in the tub with my feet pushed against one end and my arms and shoulders pushed up on the other end, this elevated my pelvis in the water and I would roll my hips from side to side. This helped some.
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What position did you end up delivering in?
on my back, c-section.
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
Hard to remember, I was so exhausted, but relieved to be reunited with her and my husband after the surgery. I know I immediately tried to breastfeed, and she suckled right away, but took until day 3 for her to fully latch.
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What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
Give it all you've got, but trust your body and your instincts. As much as I wanted to go natural, I could sense something was not right. The pain was too strong for too long for my cervix not to be dilating. In the end, an epidural and surgery were needed to get my sweet baby girl out!
