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When did you realize you were really in labor?
I was 40w2d, and I woke up to go to the bathroom probably more than five times after going to bed at 1:00. At 6 I noticed some cramping, so I had my husband wake up with our three year old so I could rest some more. I woke up at 9:30, and around 12:00 I realized that the contractions were not regular, but they were not stopping, and by 2:00 I knew I was probably in early labor, but I knew things could easily die down. Our son was spending the afternoon at his grandparents and I really thought he would be home for the night. I had texted our midwife earlier to let her know about the contractions, and when I decided to call her since things were picking up (she lives around an hour and a half away) she called me to let me know she was on her way.
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
The most challenging thing for me was knowing that I was between a rock and a hard place. Finding a position that relieved the pressure and slowed contractions down was a good and bad thing. But let's be honest, childbirth is uncomfortable no matter how you labor. With my first baby I was induced and had a myriad of drugs. I was still uncomfortable. I had a human making his way out of my uterus and vagina. With this birth the only interventions I had were acupressure the night before, and my midwife broke my bag of water when I was 10 cm dilated. I was uncomfortable because I had a human making her way out of my uterus and vagina. I don't think there's any escaping the discomfort!
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
Pray! I realized that I was not in control, and even though I knew the kind of birth I wanted I prayed for peace regarding our decisions. I prayed for God to protect our baby, because I could only do so much. I had to hold out my birth and my daughter as offering of sorts to Him. I knew what I wanted, but I had to remember that "My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord." Knowing that my husband and I both know the stages of labor and birth was helpful as well. My husband and I also talked a fair amount about birth, and our thoughts if we transfer to the hospital, the type of music I wanted or didn't want, the types of verbal encouragement I thought I may want.
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What surprised you about your birth?
I was surprised at how little of the birth I remember. My midwives were taking pictures, and my brother in law and sister in law were in and out of our house at one point, and I had no idea because my eyes were closed. I was surprised at how much I needed my husband. After a certain point I needed him for every single contraction. In the back of my mind I thought it would be a neat thing for him to have the opportunity to help catch the baby, but I needed him too much during pushing. I really thought I would need to be by myself more. I was surprised at how long it took, and at how big she was (11 lbs, and 20 inches), and that despite all of that, and throw in a previous episiotomy, I only had slight tearing that didn't require any suturing, and my recovery after this birth has been so much easier than with my first birth. In total I took three doses of ibuprofen during the week following my birth. I birthed my baby in a way that was best suited to my body, as opposed to birthing according to hospital policy.
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Pray! I realized that I was not in control, and even though I knew the kind of birth I wanted I prayed for peace regarding our decisions.
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
I kept my eyes closed for most of my labor. I used a night light or lamps instead of overhead lighting, which seemed to keep me more calm. I counted out every contraction, because I knew they wouldn't last forever, and would most likely peak in less than a minute. So when one started I would start counting or demand that my husband count, and I didn't have to think about making it through my entire labor, I just had to make it to around 20, and eventually 30, then 40 seconds, then I would have relief. At one point I started telling myself (in my head, then out loud) that I was ok. I guess looking back I needed darkness, no distractions, and I needed to remember that I was doing a completely normal thing.
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What position did you end up delivering in?
After trying to push laying on the bed, sitting on the toilet, and leaning over the bed, I eventually delivered in a deep squat, with my husband holding me up by my shoulders.
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
It felt so surreal. I was surprised that the afterbirth pain started so soon after having her, so it was hard to focus on only her, but I was so very glad to have her finally in my arms. We were all shocked at her size, how much she looked like her brother, and at how very alert she was! She was awake and looking around immediately, and we were smitten.
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How did the Mama Natural Birth Class help you in your childbirth?
The Mama Natural Birth Class helped my husband and I to have the same foundational knowledge of the birth process. I wasn't wondering if he was freaking out or confused, because I knew he had some concept of what was going on with my body. It provided a lot of great conversation starters for us, and this helped ease my stress during childbirth because I knew he would go to bath for me, and I knew if he was uncomfortable with something that it wasn't just that he was clueless. Since the course is online I didn't have to worry about the information he missed because he was at work and couldn't make it to a physical class.
