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When did you realize you were really in labor?
I really knew I was in labor on Wednesday morning, November 23rd. I'd been having on and off contractions (prodromal labor) since Sunday evening. But, my water broke at 4:40am on Wednesday and I knew...alright THIS IS IT.
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
The most challenging part was how intense the contractions got. Towards the end as I was getting close to transition I was having to use a lot of mental self-talk to get myself through contractions. I had three or four mantras I kept repeating to myself in my head when I contraction would start. One in particular that I remember was "don't tense through this contraction...tension is bad...relaxing is good..." Between 3am and 5:30am I was ready to ask for an epidural or drugs, but my doula helped remind me that if I went down that route I'd be on the bed, monitored, and that that wasn't what I wanted.
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
Researching, researching, and more researching...With any major life event I try to learn as much as I can. So, my husband and I took a Bradley Birth class, we hired doulas, I read Ina May's Guide to Child Birth and Breastfeeding, used apps, talked to friends about their experiences, took a hospital tour, used Mama Naturals Affirmation Cards , etc. All the information helped me to know mentally what to expect so that I wasn't surprised by much. I felt well informed of what birth would look like (if all went well) and that helped comfort me. I can't imagine just going in to birth without knowing what to expect or being prepared...because it really was like a marathon for me. The other thing that helped was staying active. I continued my normal exercise routine throughout pregnancy and I think that helped me to be physically prepared for childbirth. The researching helped me be prepared mentally and exercise, physically.
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What surprised you about your birth?
I think I was most surprised by how long my labor actually took. With my contractions starting and stopping from Sunday until Thursday morning I had been expecting things to go much more quickly. My water had been broken for around 27 hours before my baby was born. I was surprised how mental labor was. Finding out I was only 2 centimeters dilated (when they did my first check at the hospital) made me discouraged and I was thankful to be able to labor in water because I was able to relax, use my mental talking points, and then progress relatively quickly (at least in my opinion). Also, I was surprised that contractions hurt more than pushing...pushing for me was quite painless (it was exhausting, but painless...at least from what I remember) and I didn't experience the 'ring of fire'. So, some of those things I was prepared for I didn't experience, but the length of the whole thing did surprise me.
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Do it. My recovery has been incredible and I credit a majority of that to going natural. It wasn't easy, but if you can mentally prepare yourself and know that it's going to take just as much mental energy as it does physical energy...then you can do it. Also, HIRE A DOULA. I could not have done it naturally without them and water to labor in. Those were my godsends.
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
Laboring in the tub was THE BEST pain relief strategy.
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What position did you end up delivering in?
I delivered on the hospital bed in kind of the typical position (sitting up a little, legs supported by my doula and a nurse)...I tried a few others, but got the most progress in that one.
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
Overwhelming and surreal. We didn't find out the gender of our baby and when they handed her to us I thought she was a boy at first (I think I was the umbilical cord and mistook that for the penis)...but when they said it was a girl I just felt joy and so grateful she was here.
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What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
Do it. My recovery has been incredible and I credit a majority of that to going natural. It wasn't easy, but if you can mentally prepare yourself and know that it's going to take just as much mental energy as it does physical energy...then you can do it. Also, HIRE A DOULA. I could not have done it naturally without them and water to labor in. Those were my godsends.
