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When did you realize you were really in labor?
I was in denial all morning, woke up at 6:30 am to contractions and went about my day. I sent my husband to work and started getting the kids ready for a morning at the splash pad, by ten I started thinking this was the real deal.
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
The last hour was very intense, contractions were strong and on top of each other. I kept thinking no pain no gain, I wanted to give up but there wasn't really a choice but to power through and get a baby at the end!
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
I did a lot of reading, Ina May Gaskin's book and hyponbirthing were the most helpful. It changed my attitude about natural birth, instead of fearing the pain a realized I had to embrace it and remember that it was my body doing what it's supposed to do.
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What surprised you about your birth?
I was amazed I could walk around after, with my last two birthday I did the epidural so I could move around and felt weird until the next day. With a natural birth I felt more myself and was up in a rocking chair holding my baby two hours after birth!
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Amazing! I just stared at him and couldn't believe that my body had just done what it did!
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
I got to use the tun at the hospital and that got me through an hour or two of labor, floating in the water helped me glide through the contractions. Yoga ball helped for a bit as did swaying. I also leaned on the bed with my knees bent during the last leg of labor.
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What position did you end up delivering in?
I was on my back with my legs up to my chest, I rolled into that position from kneeling on the bed, I felt so much pressure and being on my back made me feel like he wasn't going to fall out!
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
Amazing! I just stared at him and couldn't believe that my body had just done what it did!
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What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
Read up and do research. Reading other birth stories helped tame my fear of the unknown. I would also suggest learning what helps you relax the best and use those methods during labor. Knowing what helps you will give you some tools for when labor gets tough.
