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When did you realize you were really in labor?
My water broke at home, in bed, at 5 AM but I didn't start having good strong regular contractions until a few hours later.
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
Staying positive and believing I could get through it. It was over 19 hours from the time my water broke to the time my baby was born. By the time I reached transition, I was exhausted and doubted myself many times.
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
Watching the mama natural classes with my husband and making sure he was prepared to support and advocate for me.
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What surprised you about your birth?
How hard pushing was! I pushed for an hour and really struggled with it because I was so tired from a long labor.
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I really enjoyed taking the Mama Natural Birth class but mostly it helped prepare my husband.
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
Relaxing all the muscles in my body and doing horse lips really worked during contractions. Everytime I would start to tense up, forcing myself to do horse lips helped me relax.
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What position did you end up delivering in?
I pushed on my knees, leaning over the back of the bed. My baby crowned with me in this position and then my midwife had me flip to my back to deliver her the rest of the way.
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
She was unresponsive when she was born so the NICU team came in and had her in the warmer for a little bit. It was really scary but it didn't take long for her to start breathing and crying. When I finally got to hold her I felt relief and so much love. It was incredible.
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How did the Mama Natural Birth Class help you in your childbirth?
I really enjoyed taking the Mama Natural Birth class but mostly it helped prepare my husband. I liked that it forced us to take time out our week to discuss labor and delivery and our expectations for how we wanted things to go. It also helped with knowing what interventions we could run into and how to handle them. During labor, the affirmation cards that came with the class really helped get me through when I felt like giving up. I would definitely recommend anyone that is even considering a natural childbirth to take this course.
