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When did you realize you were really in labor?
When I felt the first "pushy" contraction
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
I wasn't expecting it to be so different from my last (natural) birth. I had about 3 days of early labor, and wasn't even planning to call my midwife when that last round of contractions began because they didn't feel all that different from what I'd been experiencing off and on for 3 days.
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
I practiced with hypnobirthing meditations every day of my last trimester. They didn't help as much as I had hoped with transition but when my baby started crowning I was able to refocus and breathe him out. Because of this I didn't have any tearing that required stitches, unlike my previous 2 births, despite this baby being over 3 lbs bigger than my first 2.
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What surprised you about your birth?
How quickly it went and how intense it was. I went from irregular, mild contractions, to intense, one minute apart contractions, to pushing, to baby in about 40 minutes.
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Incredible! All the pain was gone instantly in that moment. Looking his sweet, perfect face I was in awe and I felt like I could do anything.
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
Being in the birth pool helped, as did paced breathing, but my doula was instrumental in calming me down enough to focus and breathe.
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What position did you end up delivering in?
I was in the birth pool on my knees at first but that felt too intense, too fast, so my doula had me lean back against the pool which helped control his descent tremendously.
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
Incredible! All the pain was gone instantly in that moment. Looking his sweet, perfect face I was in awe and I felt like I could do anything.
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What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
Spend time researching and preparing. I found hypnobabies helpful but it doesn't have to be hypnobabies, just find something that fits with the birth you want and put energy towards it. I found my doula to be invaluable as well. She took the time to get to know me and know what I wanted and she really facilitated that when I was in pain and losing my mind during transition. She also made sure I stayed hydrated and made me feel nurtured during labor and postpartum.
