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When did you realize you were really in labor?
When my water broke, very dramatically like in the movies! I was a week and a half late and had been in early labor for a couple of days. My contractions were very irregular so I didn't really believe I was going to go into labor on my own. My husband kept saying, "Are you sure I shouldn't call the midwife? That contraction seemed really intense." When my water broke I realized it was really happening.
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
I really wanted to go natural, but ended up getting an epidural. My contractions were so inconsistent and had multiple peaks making it difficult to move and breathe through them. Also the baby was posterior and seemed to be pushing down on my bladder so the only way I could get through a contraction was to clench my legs tightly together. I tried getting into the tub to see if that would help me relax, but when that only intensified the pain, I asked for an epidural. After a 2 hour nap, I felt like I needed to push. The midwife checked and I was a 10! The epidural had worn off quite a bit by that time so I was able to feel a lot. This was good because I could push more effectively, but bad because that ring of fire was intense!
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
Staying active throughout my pregnancy.
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What surprised you about your birth?
That I went into labor on may own. I had to be induced with my first, and when I went a week and a half past my due date, I started to doubt my body's ability to do what it was supposed to do. I'm still amazed that it really happened with minimal intervention.
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Euphoric! I cried my eyes out and held her tight. I was oblivious to the rest of the world.
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
The epidural.
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What position did you end up delivering in?
Back.
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
Euphoric! I cried my eyes out and held her tight. I was oblivious to the rest of the world.
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What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
Prepare yourself physically and mentally. Do exercises to get your baby in an optimal position for birth. The one thing I regret is not doing more to get my baby in a good position early on. If she wasn't posterior, maybe I wouldn't have needed the epidural. The other advice I would give is go easy on yourself if things don't go as planned in your birth (they rarely do!). Personally, I think the epidural was the right choice for me and I have no regrets.
