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When did you realize you were really in labor?
When the contractions were not letting up after I drank a lot of water and took a shower I knew I was really in labor. I started using a contraction timer on my baby center app and when they were averaging 5 minutes apart I called my doctors office. They wanted me to come in and be checked since we live a half hour away from the hospital. I started having contractions around 11:45 am, called the office at 2:45 pm and we didn’t get to the office until 4:50 pm where they sent us to labor and delivery to get checked out. Around 5:30 pm when I was checked I was at 6cm, 10 minutes later my water broke. Started pushing at 8:30 pm and Alex was born at 9:41 pm.
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
Feeling so helpless and uncomfortable during transition. The pain and pressure were overwhelming but I knew I was so close to being able to push and that helped me get through.
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
Honestly taking this class helped prepare me 100%. I felt so confident going in knowing I would not be getting epidural or other pain medications. Even at my worst during transition, the thought of getting an epidural wasn’t on my mind. I knew I could make it through, the pain wasn’t going to last forever.
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What surprised you about your birth?
The amount of pressure you feel before pushing and how hard you actually have to push. The way my eyes were almost swollen shut afterward surprised me.
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Helped me know what to expect at every point in labor and afterward. I learned so much that truly made it possible for me to feel so confident going natural.
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
When I was laboring at home I bounced on the birthing ball and took a shower to help with the contractions but they weren’t really that painful. After my water broke they got pretty intense to the point where I was just laying on my side in the bed and didn’t want to move. I thought I would have wanted to use the birthing ball and take a bath but laying down felt best. My husband put a cold washcloth on my forehead felt good too.
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
The best feeling in the world. After trying for two years to get pregnant, and not knowing the gender- hearing my husband say “it’s a boy!” And then placing him on my chest I was in heaven.
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What did you name your baby, and why?
Alex Bradley. My husband and I really liked the name Alex and Bradley is after my father.
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How did the Mama Natural Birth Class help you in your childbirth?
Helped me know what to expect at every point in labor and afterward. I learned so much that truly made it possible for me to feel so confident going natural.
