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When did you realize you were really in labor?
I woke up the morning of March 20th, 2018 with some "different" feeling contractions. I went down stairs to tell my husband and tried to take my mind off of it (in case it was another round of false labor) by doing some chores around the house. The contractions started to intensify and I quickly tried to finish up dishes and laundry. I realized I was in true labor when I had to drop a basket full of laundry on the ground in order to concentrate on a contraction that took my breath away. I took a shower and tucked away into our master bedroom and sat on the birth ball with my head laying on our bed while my husband filled the birth tub. Contractions quickly went from 10 minutes apart to 4 minutes apart and our midwife was headed our way!
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
The most challenging thing about going natural was the intensity of the last few contractions before crowning. I felt like I couldn't do it. But I also knew the phrase "I cant do it" meant my baby wasn't far away. With the help of my amazing and encouraging birth team (my husband, my midwife, my mom, my sister, and a great friend) I DID do it!
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
The most helpful thing I did to prepare for childbirth was to have a few songs picked out that I knew would be helpful in getting me through transition. The two songs I chose were "King of My Heart" and "Reckless Love". My birth team kept these songs on repeat as I was going through transition and I was able to stay focused and was also reminded that God was with me through this whole process.
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What surprised you about your birth?
I was surprised at how quickly my labor came on and how quickly I became "in the zone". I had no perception of time and was completely consumed and concentrated on labor. The next thing I knew I had a baby.
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When I held Faith for the first time it felt absolutely incredible. She was such a reward! I always felt like God had promised us a daughter one day and the song "All your promises are yes and amen" was a song that would come to mind whenever I would think about or pray for a daughter. Guess what song randomly came on when I held my daughter for the first time? YEP! That one!
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
The two best pain relief strategies I used were hip squeezes done by my husband during active labor. When I went into transition and crowning the best strategy was getting into the warm birth pool and having a deep sacral back rub done by a good friend and massage therapist. This was heavenly!
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What position did you end up delivering in?
When it came time to push I naturally went to my knees in a squatting position and my midwife had my mom hold my head in her arms me while my husband went behind me to catch our daughter. This was such an incredibly special moment for me to look back on.
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
When I held Faith for the first time it felt absolutely incredible. She was such a reward! I always felt like God had promised us a daughter one day and the song "All your promises are yes and amen" was a song that would come to mind whenever I would think about or pray for a daughter. Guess what song randomly came on when I held my daughter for the first time? YEP! That one!
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What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
The best advice I can give to other mamas who want to go natural is to trust your body and your birth team. Relax and focus on your body and you and your baby will work together. Change positions often and do what feels right at the time.
