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When did you realize you were really in labor?
I started having contractions at 5am on December 1st.
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
By the time I was brought back to labor and delivery I was fully dilated. I pushed for 45 minutes with no progress, baby was still under my ribs. At this point I was losing hope of getting to have my VBAC. The doctor and I had agreed to go ahead with an epidural so I could rest a little and let the contractions move baby down a little. We felt like if i ended up pushing for hours the risk of needing a repeat c-section would increase.
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
The most helpful thing was to trust that my body could birth my baby. I had a few Drs try to talk me out of a VBAC but I knew I could birth my baby.
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What surprised you about your birth?
I was surprised how empowered I felt after I delivered my son. This birth was so much more intimate than my emergency section with my first.
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It is so important to believe that your body can birth your baby. You have to have a support system that believes in you as well.
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
Counter pressure worked the best for me.
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What position did you end up delivering in?
I ended up delivering on my back.
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
I'm not sure I can put into words what it was like to hold my son for the first time. It is such an amazing, surreal moment.
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What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
It is so important to believe that your body can birth your baby. You have to have a support system that believes in you as well.
