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When did you realize you were really in labor?
I realized I was in labor when my water broke. I had taken castor oil in the wee hours of Sunday morning. After feeling the effects of the castor oil all day, we decided to try and take a walk at the mall to see if we could get labor jump started. We walked for a few hours to no avail. I hadn't even felt Braxton Hicks so I just assumed this labor wasn't going to happen! Then as I lay on the couch later that evening, around 8pm I felt a gush of water, and without a doubt it was my water breaking. Within 30 minutes I was feeling very minor contractions that ranged between 5-8 minutes apart.
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
There were 2 moments I can remember feeling extremely overwhelmed by the pain. Looking back one of those moments was during transition. I felt the worst contraction of my whole labor and all I could do was wrap my arms around my husbands neck and cry! Thankfully, it went much better after that. The second moment was when I was pushing. I felt like I was pushing a cement block out of me and was wondering if this is how it would feel the whole time I pushed. The next contraction he was crowning and it felt so good to feel accomplishment in those pushes.
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
I know this may sound contrary to what many people think, but the best thing I could do was not prepare or make a birth plan. I am a very detailed planner by nature...I make lists, check them off as I finish them. If something I plan doesn't get done, I don't handle it well. I get extremely disappointed. So I knew that if I planned my "dream" birth and it didn't happen the way I wanted it to I would be disappointed! And I didn't want to be in labor and stressing out about my birth plan and making sure things were done the right way. And it's a good thing I didn't plan because things definitely didn't go the way we expected as you'll read about in the next question.
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What surprised you about your birth?
The biggest surprise we received was having an unplanned unassisted home birth. I was supposed to deliver at a birth center with a midwife, but my body had other plans. As I was getting dressed to leave I started to push. It was -40F outside and I knew if I delivered in the car it could be tragic to the baby, so I stripped down and crawled on the couch to deliver. Within a few pushes he was born into his daddy's arms about 5 minutes before our dear midwife arrived.
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If there is a teeny, tiny part of you that wants to deliver naturally, just jump in 100% Start to research positive births, ask local midwives and doulas about natural birth, if you have a local birth center visit the facility. Surround yourself with loving, caring and most importantly empowering women.
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
I loved being in a hot shower! I would imagine being on a beautiful beach and the water was waves crashing over me and the light in the shower was the sun. I felt relief with counter pressure in the beginning. As things progressed I would hang my arms around my husband and sway side to side. While pushing I felt a lot of relief from vocalizing.
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What position did you end up delivering in?
99% of my pushing was on all fours but because the midwife wasn't there she directed me over the phone to turn over to my back to deliver.
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
I have NEVER felt such a bond with anyone before. My first was born in the hospital with interventions(epidural) and he was taken away soon after birth to clean up, measure, check over. I thought holding him was a strong bond between mother and baby because I instantly fell in love with him. But with this birth, he laid on my chest right away and within 10 minutes of delivery he started nursing. Despite the pain, I knew it was all worth it.
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What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
So many women have told me that they could never do it. YES YOU CAN!!! If there is a teeny, tiny part of you that wants to deliver naturally, just jump in 100% Start to research positive births, ask local midwives and doulas about natural birth, if you have a local birth center visit the facility. Surround yourself with loving, caring and most importantly empowering women. I know each and every one of you soon to be mama's would do ANYTHING for your unborn child and natural birth is the BEST way to start. Once you do research on how interventions can negatively effect your baby, you will not want to receive unnecessary interventions.
Just know you are strong, amazing, loving mother!
