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When did you realize you were really in labor?
I was induced with cervidil, and 30 min later I was having intense contractions that were very regular- I couldn’t go to sleep so I knew things were getting real!
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
At one point my contractions were overlapping and I had no break in between them- that was unbearable! Even with my Doula's help, I didn’t think I could go on much longer like that without some kind of pain relief! Thankfully we were able to have the cervadil removed and my contractions spaced back out a bit and I was able to manage.
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
Reading the mama natural book, taking the Mama Natural Birth Course with my husband, and hiring a doula were all integral parts for me being able to achieve a natural birth.
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What surprised you about your birth?
I wasn’t expecting to need/choose to be induced. But thankfully, I had cervadil and it put me into labor in 30 min, so that was also surprising but in a good way!
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It helped educate me to know what to expect during labor and birth including many of the possible complications that could arise and how to handle them. It also just affirmed a positive outlook on birth and how our bodies are made to do this! It was especially helpful to be able to do it with my husband so that he could learn and understand much of what I already knew and believed about birth. He was willing to go along with whatever I wanted but helping him understand the reasoning and facts behind those desires was very powerful for us.
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
My Doula and husband did vocalizations along with me during each contraction, they both did a lot of counter pressure and lower back rubs, and my Doula was constantly reminding me to release tension (drop my shoulders, sink into the bed, etc) which helped me to stay on top of the pain and get into a “floppy soggy” relaxed state as she calls it.
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
Amazing! It was such a relief to finally be done pushing her out and to see her sweet face and just cuddle her.
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What did you name your baby, and why?
Autumn Elise. My husband and I both have A names so we wanted to continue the trend with our kids. We just liked the name Autumn and I liked that it’s not a super common name yet it’s not unusual (people also can pronounce and spell it easily). Her middle name Elise is a tribute to my mom Lisa who passed away 4 years ago.
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How did the Mama Natural Birth Class help you in your childbirth?
It helped educate me to know what to expect during labor and birth including many of the possible complications that could arise and how to handle them. It also just affirmed a positive outlook on birth and how our bodies are made to do this! It was especially helpful to be able to do it with my husband so that he could learn and understand much of what I already knew and believed about birth. He was willing to go along with whatever I wanted but helping him understand the reasoning and facts behind those desires was very powerful for us.
