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When did you realize you were really in labor?
I had been having Braxton Hicks off and on throughout the pregnancy, so it was difficult for me to tell if I was in labor or just having practice contractions. I think when I felt that the contractions were coming so frequently that I was unable to move very far without having another contraction, I suspected it might be the real deal. My husband decided to call into work to let them know that he wouldn't be there and he also called the doula. She asked to speak to me and during our short conversation. I had four contractions that I had to pause the conversation for. She said she would be on her way and at our house within in a half hour. At that point, I figured that what I was experiencing was really labor.
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
I felt the most challenging thing about going natural was constantly having medical staff buck up against my wishes until the very end. They wanted to induce, but I refused and my daughter came on her own three days later. Then, I was given an IV and constantly fetal monitored. At 10cm dilated, right before pushing, I was asked if I wanted an epidural, which of course, I declined firmly.
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
Getting in the right mindset with research, classes, books, hypnobirthing tracks, journaling, red raspberry leaf tea, tummy butter, chiropractic adjustment, rose geranium/clary sage/ ylang ylang essential oil blends, spinning babies technique, making freezer meals, prayer, good support system.
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What surprised you about your birth?
It was not the horror story that some people make it out to be. I felt powerful, capable, and tethered between the spiritual and physical world.
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Research, be persistent, take it one contraction at a time and rest fully between them, listen to hypnobirthing tracks, and have a support network of people that believe you can go natural.
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
Using the bath, shower, birthing ball, essential oils, yoga mat, breathing out using the vowel sound for "a" to relax the pelvic floor, positioning with pillows, fully relaxing between contractions.
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
Ethereal and joyous. It felt like receiving part of myself that I didn't know I was missing. I instantly felt a desire to cherish and protect my baby. My old self felt incomplete in comparison to the person I was in that room at that moment. All was right in the world and I was fully present, completely consumed with my daughter and husband,
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What did you name your baby, and why?
I always liked the name Avery for a girl. My husband also liked the name. Anne is my middle name, so I wanted to pass that down to my daughter.
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What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
Research, be persistent, take it one contraction at a time and rest fully between them, listen to hypnobirthing tracks, and have a support network of people that believe you can go natural.
