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When did you realize you were really in labor?
When I was at the doctors office for my 35 week check up. I had been having Braxton Hicks for a week or so and the doctors, nurses, midwife, doula, and chiropractor all said that it was braxton hicks. I made the midwife check me just in case and turns out I was 100% effaced and dialated to a 7! I had no pain and had worked all day at my house cleaning business.
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
Nothing was challenging about the natural part of it. I went through almost my whole labor without knowing it. I only knew since I was at a check up and she said I was about to have him. The hard part was that he was footling breech and I had done everything the previous 2 months to flip him but he didn't flip. So when they checked for dialation he literally kicked the midwife fingers! I had an emergency c-section since he was breech. That was the hard part
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
Had a baby shower early & packed my bags way in advance. Also we had went to the fire station 2 days before to make sure we knew how to install the carseat correctly. I'm thankful I'm an early planner or I wouldn't have been ready in time.
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What surprised you about your birth?
That I had no pain & was cleaning houses up until a couple hours before my doctors appointment. If he was head down I probably wouldn't have pushed my doctors on getting me in and checking for dialation that day so I could have ended up having him at home accidently if that was the case.
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Keep busy during labor. I love cleaning and work so I was busy with that and didn't even know I was in labor.
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
I guess just staying busy. I kept working and I did feel extra bloated and a little pressure but I told my friend I felt like I just ate 3 Thanksgiving dinners in a row. Apparently that's what labor feels like to me :-)
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What position did you end up delivering in?
On my back from a c section. But my plan was squatting and having my husband and my doula support me.
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
I saw a photo of him & they held him next to my face. He was so beautiful I started tearing up. I was super nauseous from the csection & he was a month early so they rushed him to the nicu so I didn't hold him til a fee hours later. At that time I was even more nauseous and dizzy so I could only hold him for a few minutes at a time in between being sick. It wasn't until the next evening that I could get out of bed to go to the nicu and really hold him. I couldn't believe that little man came out of me! He was so tiny and frail. It was hard for me to connect with him for about 3 to 5 days since I hade a c section and didn't get to hold him and bond and he had to stay in the nicu. But we started going every 3 hours to the nicu to hold him while he was tube fed my pumped milk, and trying to breastfeed directly, and then I started bonding with him. Now we are inseparable!
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What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
I would say to stay positive. Even though my son was breech I had faith that he would flip so I practiced everything for a natural birth.
Also get a doula. Ours even went into surgery with us for the csection and stayed the night in the hospital with us. I was so sick that I couldn't pump so her and my husband would pump me every couple hours. Because of her I have a great breastfeeding relationship with my son now.
Keep busy during labor. I love cleaning and work so I was busy with that and didn't even know I was in labor.
