What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
Trust in your body and relax!
Full birth story below
Here is the story of Clara Jean's birth,
I'm going to start off by talking about several weeks before she was born.
So,where to begin? Since basically the very beginning of my pregnancy I have had braxton hicks (since 13 weeks) they are never painful, but as my pregnancy went on they got more and more intense, by the time I was 30 weeks I would have them for hours at a time every 5 min lasting a min, But me and my doctor were not worried because they were never painful, So I knew they weren't real labor and just "practice contractions"
// You'd think by the time your pregnant with your third your body wouldn't need more practice ;) //
When I was about 35 weeks they started getting more painful, not where I'd have to breathe or not talk through them, but more intense and then a braxton hicks and almost painful, they'd be 5 minuets apart, lasting a minute and went on for hours and hours, but they never intensified so I just kept on with my day as best I could,
So now that you have a bit of a back story I'll tell you about the week leading up to Clara's birth. Since I had been having all this practice labor, Braxton hicks, prodromal labor, whatever you want to call it, I wasn't sure I'd know soon enough that I was in real true labor, last birth was fairly short, about 6 hours total but only 3 hours active labor, So I prayed that when i went in to true labor I'd know with out a doubt and know.
Friday: most nights I have been able to sleep great, but that night I was up for hours and hours with contractions that I couldn't sleep through, and to top it all off, at 1 AM Hazel woke up throwing up, John and I cleaned her up and John offered to sit up with her a bit so I could get some more sleep,
Saturday: I was 37 weeks 4 days, I woke up the that morning and the contractions had stopped and only having a random braxton hick. John was able to be home so we got stuff done around the house and then went and played with the kids in the snow.
Later that afternoon we went to get milk from our parlor bulk tank, and somehow Cort ended up smashing his finger in the door jam! it was bleeding all over and a first I thought he might have broken his finger, but we cleaned him up and he looked like he was going to be OK, We put the kids to bed about 7:15 pm. all day I had little to no contractions,
After I put the kids to bed I took a bath, a few contractions, but nothing crazy, got up and got dressed, went out to the living room to watch a move and *gush* MY WATER BREAKS!
But... I wanted to make sure it was my water and not.. well pee.. So I waited a bit, changed, and walked around, more fluid, definitely my water, I tell John, and we are both in disbelief. With my other two children my water hasn't broken till minuets before they were born, But God sure answered my prayer, I KNEW I was going to have Clara soon!
I started having contractions every 2-3 minuets, But they went very painful and only lasted 30 seconds or so, Finally at 10:00pm we headed to the hospital, but I could still talk and even walk through the contractions, On the drive which is about 30 minuets they slowed down to ever 5 minuets,
// Funny story // On the drive over John asked me if I thought we had time to go to the car wash before we went to the hospital =) haha men! I told him yes, but hopefully the car wash wouldn't take too long.. we pulled in and it was closed for maintenance, so we just went to the hospital. //
We got to the hospital at 10:32pm, Got checked in and the nurse checked me, I was about 4-5cm dilated and my water had for sure broken. They had me lay in bed and be monitored for 1/2 hour, after that the contractions started getting very intense, couldn't talk through them. I got in the Jet tub and relaxed in the warm water with a cool cloth on my head. I was in the tub for about 25minets, when I had a feeling I was getting close to pushing, but didn't feel like I needed to yet, *TMI* But I also felt like I needed to use the bathroom, John stepped out, I used the bathroom and as I was standing up i felt my body push, I look down and Clara's head is almost completely out! I quickly call for John and pull the "call nurse line" John comes in and calls for the nurse saying "She's having the baby, And the head is out!" Several nurses run in just in time to catch Clara.
At 11:34pm on Saturday November 4th Our sweet Clara was born,
I walked over to the bed and did skin to skin, the Doctor showed up about 30 minuets after she was born, I had no tears or stitches, He cut the cord and then I continued doing skin to skin and she nursed for awhile.
After, we weighed and measured her, She was 6lbs 13oz and 19 inches long
This was my fastest and easiest birth yet, with only 30 minuets of active labor and no pushing at all!