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When did you realize you were really in labor?
Although I had been having contractions throughout the evening, I didn’t realize I was in labor until my water broke at 1:30 AM.
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
The most challenging thing about choosing a natural birth was getting over the worry that I might not be able to handle the pain.
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
I sought out information about natural birth. Most helpful to me was Ina May Gaskin’s Guide to Childbirth, taking the Mama Natural Birth Course, and watching/reading positive natural birth stories.
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What surprised you about your birth?
How fast it went! My daughter was born an hour and twelve minutes after my water broke, and only two minutes after we arrived at the birth center! My husband wasn’t even in the room when she was born because he’d gone back to the car to get our bags!
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It helped keep me calm and to get through each contraction. I just kept telling myself that I could do one more contraction and that everything would be ok once we got to the birth center.
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
My contractions became very intense shortly after my water broke. I was best able to cope with them by swaying back and forth while bracing myself against the arm of the couch or the bed. Making sure to keep my tone low and my face relaxed also helped once we were in the car and I wasn’t able to move around much.
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
Shocked! She was eight days early and I had a very short labor. I was over the moon happy that she was here and that she was healthy, but I just kept saying “I can’t believe that just happened”.
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What did you name your baby, and why?
We named our new baby Mia Isabel. There’s no special significance to it. We both liked the name and it goes well with our older daughter’s name.
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How did the Mama Natural Birth Class help you in your childbirth?
It helped keep me calm and to get through each contraction. I just kept telling myself that I could do one more contraction and that everything would be ok once we got to the birth center.