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When did you realize you were really in labor?
I was pretty much in denial about labor until my water broke. I was feeling mild contractions the day before, and my husband massaged my feet until I fell asleep. About 2 hours later, I woke up to stronger contractions, and I started timing them. Then I started crying because...well...I'm emotional! This woke my husband up, and he started timing the contractions for me. After about an hour, I got out of bed and my water broke. At this point, I was convinced that labor had begun.
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
The most challenging thing about going natural was the pain! Initially, my contractions were lasting about 2 minutes each with only a minute of rest between. The pain was like nothing I have ever felt before.
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
The most helpful thing about preparing for childbirth was investing in the Mama Natural Birth Course. My husband and I learned so much in the course which really helped us throughout my pregnancy, during labor and delivery, and even postpartum.
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What surprised you about your birth?
I was most surprised with how accommodating both my doctor and the hospital were with my birth plan. Everyone was extremely supportive and did not even mention the word epidural until it was absolutely necessary. Nurse after nurse walked in and gave only encouraging words during my labor. And my doctor...she was so respectful of my birth plan until the very end. Twenty-four hours of my labor were completely natural, but in the end, delivery became too risky, and I needed pitocin and an epidural to safely deliver vaginally. Although this was not part of my birth plan, the birth of our daughter truly is a beautiful story, and I'm so thankful for everyone who helped me bring her into this world.
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It helped my husband and me become educated about having a natural childbirth. We felt prepared at our visits with the doctor and during labor and delivery.
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
For the short time that I labored at home, a hot shower helped reduce the pain I was feeling. Once at the hospital, I really couldn't find any pain relief strategies to work. I did find that pain lessened with sitting up in the bed, rather than lying down.
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What position did you end up delivering in?
I delivered in the traditional position (on my back with legs propped up).
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
I'm not sure words can describe what I was feeling when I held my daughter for the first time. I just know that I was extremely happy that she had finally made her debut, after so many hours of intense pain and a rollercoaster of emotions.
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How did the Mama Natural Birth Class help you in your childbirth?
It helped my husband and me become educated about having a natural childbirth. We felt prepared at our visits with the doctor and during labor and delivery.
