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When did you realize you were really in labor?
I felt my first contraction when I was in the kitchen organizing my freezer. I felt a strong crampy feeling in my lower abdomen, I went to tell my husband in the other room that I thought I had a contraction. About an hour or so later I was having contractions about 20 minutes apart, so I called our midwife to see when we should come in. We live in a rural area in southwest Colorado and the birthing center where we chose to have our baby is 2 hours away so we wanted to be sure we had plenty of time. My first contraction was at 11:45 am, and I was in full on labor about 2 hours later, and in active labor at 6 pm, by 8:11 pm I was holding my baby.
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
This is my first child, so the fear of labor pains and not knowing what to expect and how I was going to handle it was the hardest part. I always knew that I was going to have a natural childbirth, for me there was no other way. I was actually really afraid that there might be complications and I would have to be transferred to the hospital.
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
I am a very active person and continuing that lifestyle as far into my pregnancy as I physically could really helped me prepare for labor, I walked every day, rode my bike up until my 7th month,and did yoga once or twice a week. I also worked really hard to educate myself and prepare myself mentally for a natural childbirth.
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What surprised you about your birth?
The most surprising thing about my birth was how quickly it happened. It seemed like one minute I was in my kitchen, cleaning and then the next I was holding my baby girl. It all is such a blur for me, and although labor is painful, that part seemed so insignificant, getting to finally hold the tiny human that had been inside me for the past 9 months is the part that really stands out in my memory.
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Incredible. Surreal. I kept saying 'I can't believe you're real' over and over. I've never been one of those people who gushes over babies, but once I had my baby in my arms my heart was overflowing, I've never been so in love.
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
Concentrating on my breathing, the tub, telling myself that "I can do this", and this will sound crazy but, due to my sarcastic sense of humor, cracking little one-liner jokes to myself while I was pushing.
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What position did you end up delivering in?
I actually ended up laying on my back due to intense fatigue and pain in my hips. I really though I would deliver squatting or on a birthing chair, but once I laid down, there was no getting back up.
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
Incredible. Surreal. I kept saying "I can't believe you're real" over and over. I've never been one of those people who gushes over babies, but once I had my baby in my arms my heart was overflowing, I've never been so in love.
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What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
If you put your mind and heart into it, you can do it. Making an effort to prepare yourself both physically and mentally is key. I knew in my heart that I was going to have a natural childbirth and during my labor it never crossed my mind to have an epidural or any other interventions. Being at a birthing center where natural childbirth is the only option and knowing that my birth plan was going to be followed without a fight really helped to lessen my anxiety and let me concentrate on getting through my labor. I was also lucky to have amazing support from my husband and my mom who helped me prepare during my pregnancy and were both there for my labor.
