Tanya's Husband Encouraged Her Through Labor

When did you realize you were really in labor?

My hubby and I had just retired to bed, but I could not sleep. I was 40weeks, 2days into my pregnancy and kept thinking about if she would come soon or not. As I laid there, after about 20 minutes, I felt her moving in a downward motion, and then a painful contraction radiating upward from my pelvis. It was very different from the squeezing feeling of the many Braxton Hicks contractions I had been enduring. I looked at the time and then waited to see if it returned. About 8 minutes later, I felt her do a similar movement, then the same kind of contraction. I got a little excited, because I knew it was the real deal. I waited about an hour as I counted them getting shorter in between, just so that my hubby could get a little rest, and so that I could time going to the hospital a little better.

What was the most challenging thing about going natural?

Remembering to breathe through each contraction was the hardest thing as my labor got more intense. My husband was a rockstar and kept reminding me to breathe and kept telling me how strong I was. It was also challenging being in a hospital setting because the doctor was late to arrive, and he had instructed the nurses to keep me tied to the bed encumbered with monitors and a fluid line until he arrived. I had hoped for a midwife, but I went into labor on a Saturday, and only a doctor was in attendance.
I did not want to lay down during the duration. The nurse that was in attendance saw that my contractions were getting more severe, and as shift change approached, she decided to check my dilation before she left, as the doctor was already almost 45 minutes late. She said I was at about a 5, but had progressed mighty fast. She unhooked my line so that I could move around a little, and instructed me to get onto my knees in the bed, and to hang onto the back of the bed. My water broke soon after that. Also, after the 7am shift change, the doc appeared, and she was born 17 minutes later.

What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?

I watched lots of videos including "The Business of Being Born", the mama natural webinar, and a host of other videos relating to natural childbirth. I also did prenatal yoga and a lot of walking in the days leading up to it, and drank a lot of Nora tea.

What surprised you about your birth?

The birth was very short by comparison to the birth of my son. I had my son 12 years ago, and felt pushed by the hospital staff to utilize the drugs that they provided. I tried to go through it naturally as long as possible, but was naive to how much better it could be to go natural, and finally caved into the nurses constant offers of drugs. I don't recall all of the meds that were used. But I do know that pitocin and an epidural were involved. I labored for 10.5 hours and pushed for 1 hour with him. My recovery was challenging as well.
With my daughter, I labored for about 4 hours and 45 minutes, and pushed within 1 contraction. They said less than 5 minutes and she was out. My recovery has been great by comparison!

My husband held my hand every time a contraction started, and he verbally encouraged me. He told me continually that I was doing great and how strong I was. He also reminded me periodically to breathe.

What pain relief strategies worked best?

I was dealing with back labor so my husband applied counter pressure on my lower back. That was the first line of defense. Breathing through each contraction and vocalizing as I breathed helped me a lot as well. It aided me to pay attention to my breath, and to take another breath as well.
I also had to remember not to tense through each contraction. That was a bit harder to remember as the contractions got so intense, so I would kick and shake my feet, or rock my pelvis. As long as I focused on the movement, it helped me to focus away from the pain.
My husband held my hand every time a contraction started, and he verbally encouraged me. He told me continually that I was doing great and how strong I was. He also reminded me periodically to breathe. That helped me so much. I think that was the best thing for me. His encouragement kept me on track.
I also had music playing that helped me calm down in between contractions.

What position did you end up delivering in?

I had been on my knees, and asked to get out of the bed. I stood on the side of the bed, leaning over it, and soon started to feel the need to push. The doc, who had just arrived, instructed me to get back on the bed. I got on my back, leaning up on my arms and they got my feet into the stirrups. I almost immediately pushed her out through one contraction, just as they told me that she was right there. I felt every part of her exit, and it was actually amazing. It was painful, of course, but so extremely fast. With my son, and through the use of the epidural, they had to tell me when to push. Going natural, it truly showed me what my body is capable of doing.

How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?

It was miraculous. I kept telling my husband "We did it!" And I cried as I looked at her. I was ecstatic and felt so complete. The hospital honors the golden hour, so I got to hold her immediately and just stared at her in wonder. She is the most beautiful child I could have imagined, and she came out in the best way possible.

What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?

Trust your body to know what to do. Also, read up on it, and employ natural pain strategies. Practice some of them as well. Get a good support person who can help tend to your every need. Also, share as much info with them as possible so that your birth goals are met, and they know what to expect while you are in labor. Make sure they advocate for you.
Keep the lights low, and have a good environment.