Hiring A Doula, Drinking Red Raspberry Leaf Tea And Eating Dates Helped Brittany Achieve Natural Hospital Birth

When did you realize you were really in labor?

At 41 weeks 4 days, my midwife was finally able to reach my cervix and do a stretch and sweep at my request. I felt increasingly crampy in the hours following that. At about 11pm that night, after several hours of good sleep, I woke up to regular and painful contractions.

What was the most challenging thing about going natural?

Having a lip that wouldn’t go away at 9.5 cm for several hours and then pushing for just over two hours. My very non interventionist midwife recommended she give me an epesiotomy- but she left it up to me (I was the fourth in her long career). As soon as she did that I was finally able to push baby girl out.

What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?

Hiring a doula was by far the best thing I did to prepare! I’m not sure if all that red raspberry leaf tea and dates helped or not.

What surprised you about your birth?

How exhausting labor is surprised me. I tried every position and even pushed while squatting for a while so maybe that contributed to how physically depleted I was. I must have had every nurse in the labor and delivery ward watching my birth by the end because they hardly ever saw someone give birth while being so active and drug free. One of them told my mother “this is how birth should be”.

I must have had every nurse in the labor and delivery ward watching my birth by the end because they hardly ever saw someone give birth while being so active and drug free. One of them told my mother “this is how birth should be”.

What pain relief strategies worked best?

Pressure on my lower back made the contractions so much more bearable.

What position did you end up delivering in?

I began pushing while squatting, but ended up delivering on my back because I got too tired to squat any longer.

How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?

It felt surreal. To be totally honest, I was mostly just relieved to be done with labor.

What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?

Please hire a doula! I honestly don’t think I could have done it naturally without her even with how determined I was originally.