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When did you realize you were really in labor?
I woke up at 4:30 AM and felt a squish as I got out of bed. I went to the restroom and saw the unavoidable truth that my water had broken. I started having pretty regular contractions within about an hour of waking up. I was surprised by how calm I was! My husband woke up when I turned on the shower, and I told him I was in labor and just to go back to sleep! ?
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
The hardest part for me was when I started getting tired from about 5-7cm. I remember falling asleep between contractions and thinking I didn’t know how much longer I could do it since I was so sleepy. It was that point where I started to lose my mind a little, and not in transition like I expected it would be.
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
Surrounding myself with people who encouraged me and educating myself about natural birth. I loved the mama natural birth course and reading/watching other women’s natural birth stories.
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What surprised you about your birth?
I honestly thought it would be worse than it was. It was definitely not “fun” and it was intense, but I never felt like I couldn’t handle the pain. I also couldn’t believe how quickly it went by. From the time I woke up with my water broken, to delivery was 15 hours... but it felt like maybe 5
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It helped me not be afraid of what my body was doing and made it feel possible that it could be done! I could end each session and say “yes! I am going to do this!l I love that it educated my husband as well and gave us both confidence as we approached labor.
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
The horse lips breathing was AMAZING! Anytime I breathe without it I felt like I would hyperventilate. But using the horse lips helped me breathe deeply and fully. I did it for almost the entirety of my active labor. Also, moving positions constantly helped me stay calm and feel in control of the pain. I transitioned on the toilet, and that was very calming to me because I didn’t feel the need to hold anything in. I could completely release with each contraction without fear.
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What position did you end up delivering in?
I delivered sitting up on my back with my bum up a bit. I was surprised by this, but it felt the most effective for me to focus my pushing in the right place.
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
It was unlike anything I had expected. So much relief to see his little face for the first time, and yet like he had always been there with us. It was just right.
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How did the Mama Natural Birth Class help you in your childbirth?
It helped me not be afraid of what my body was doing and made it feel possible that it could be done! I could end each session and say “yes! I am going to do this!l I love that it educated my husband as well and gave us both confidence as we approached labor. Also, it encouraged me to get a doula, and she was worth her weight in gold!
