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When did you realize you were really in labor?
I was four days pass my estimated due date and my husband and I were doing almost everything possible in hopes of starting labor. I decided to roll my hips on my birthing ball after we finished trying nipple stimulation. After sitting on the ball for several minutes i got up from the ball and walked into my kitchen and suddenly I felt a gush of liquid. I called my midwife an explained that I thought my water broke but I hadn't been experiencing any contractions. I was instructed to go into the Birth Center because if my water had burst I would need to start antibiotics due to being Group Strep positive. Fast forward to later that evening I still hadn't had any contractions so my midwife instructed me to take castor oil, from then on I was in active labor. My contractions started approx 11 pm and I delivered 2:04 am.
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
Transition was most difficult for me. I had never experienced that kind of pain in my life. Luckily that period went very quickly. One minute I was 7 cm dilated and no more than 15 mins. later I was pushing. My contractions were back to back with maybe 30 seconds of rest between. I felt everything going natural but I believe it made my labor shorter. Everything progressed so fast I ended up giving birth on the bathroom floor.
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
I studied the hypnobabies techniques, which helped me stay calm and not tense up.
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What surprised you about your birth?
I was most surprised that I was able to accomplish my goal of going natural and that I needed very little instruction.
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It is the way to go. If you and the baby are healthy with no complications then I say go for it. This is what we as women are made to do. Whenever I had second thoughts or someone told me I was crazy I just thought about the billions of women who have gone natural before me and it gave me strength.
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
Breathing, moaning, rolling hips on birthing ball, sitting on the toilet backwards while being massaged.
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What position did you end up delivering in?
On hands and knees (no stiches needed)
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
Amazed that I made this beautiful little person and relieved it was over.
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What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
It is the way to go. If you and the baby are healthy with no complications then I say go for it. This is what we as women are made to do. Whenever I had second thoughts or someone told me I was crazy I just thought about the billions of women who have gone natural before me and it gave me strength. Also I would say if you can avoid the hospital to avoid having the option for an epidural.
