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When did you realize you were really in labor?
When we got to the hospital. I had been having contractions on and off for days. On my due date I had an appointment where my midwife announced that I was 1cm dilated and did a membrane sweep. After that, I got a massage with acupressure and then went on a long walk with my husband and dog. With all of this, I started having contractions around 5:30pm. I started timing them but they were never regular. At around 10pm I called my midwife and she suggested distraction and relaxation. I tried the tub but that did not help so instead we put on a movie. By the end of the movie I could not talk through contractions anymore. We decided to go to the hospital but because they were so irregular I thought for sure they were going to send me home. At triage they checked me and I was 5cm dilated. They started getting ready to check us in and that’s when I realized it was really happening.
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
Mentally getting through it. There were multiple times when I was certain I was not going to be able to do it. I was exhausted and in pain and wanted it to just stop. I had to focus on staying present in the moment instead of thinking about how much longer I had to go.
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
I started doing guided meditation halfway through my second trimester and it helped me stay focused on both the present and my breathing. I also wanted to be as informed as possible so I read everything I could about childbirth. Reading Mama Natural and a book called Made for This helped convince me that my body could handle this.
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What surprised you about your birth?
Honestly, that I did it. I was not completely opposed to interventions I just wanted to see what I could do on my own. By the time I wanted to “give up” I was ready to push and the only way to end it was to go through it.
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Make sure to surround yourself with a supportive team. My midwife, nurse and husband were completely on board with letting me decide what I needed and when.
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
Three major things come to mind. My husband did a really good job of supporting me and helping me relax in between contractions I even nodded off between a few as they started spacing out after transition. My midwife also helped with counter-pressure during some back labor and helped me move my hips to flip him into a good position. Finally, I went through transition on the toilet which totally helped me relax the rest of my body.
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
It was a blur. I ended up hemorrhaging so it went from “Oh my gosh here he is.” to a million people in the room and some chaos. Through it all I was able to keep holding him though and it helped ground me in the midst of some of that pain and fear.
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What did you name your baby, and why?
We named him Samuel Andrew. Samuel because he is the child we prayed unceasingly for and Andrew after my husband’s cousin.
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What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
Make sure to surround yourself with a supportive team. My midwife, nurse and husband were completely on board with letting me decide what I needed and when. My hospital also had a “low stim high touch” room designed to help moms looking for a more natural birth experience. It was awesome and empowering to know it was all about listening to my body and my wants.
