Watching, Reading And Listening To All Positive Birth Stories Helped Kaelyn Achieve Her Natural Hospital Birth

Video Interview With Kaelyn

When did you realize you were really in labor?

The night before my daughter was born, my husband and I had gone on a walk and I noticed a few contractions but I wrote them off as Braxton Hicks. I kept having them throughout the evening but they were very irregular so I didn't think much of them other than that they felt "different", but I couldn't really describe how. I went to bed that night assuming they would taper off and be gone by the morning but to my shock, they woke me up at 5am. By this point they were consistently about 8 minutes apart. That was when I had my first real thought of "this is it".

What was the most challenging thing about going natural?

I think the hardest part for me was having such a different experience than what I anticipated. As a first time mom, I was expecting a really long active labor. By the time we made it to the hospital I was 7cm dilated and delivered her 2 hours later. I remember feeling really overwhelmed that it was going faster than what I had mentally prepared for. Granted, I am so thankful everything progressed effectively and efficiently, but I would recommend not going into labor with too many preconceived ideas of what it will be like and accepting how your body labors with peace.

What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?

I watched and read and listened to all the positive birth stories that I could find! They made me feel so empowered and really made me believe that I could have the natural delivery I was hoping and praying for.
I also was really intentional about my posture and body positioning in the weeks leading into my delivery and I think her being in an optimal position really helped to progress my labor efficiently!

What surprised you about your birth?

I was shocked at how quickly it all happened for me once I was in active labor. It was so surreal seeing what my body was fully capable of doing, and now in retrospect it has made my relationship with my body so much more positive and appreciative!

Guard your heart and mind from other people's negative birth stories- not out of lack of compassion, but out of protection for your own mental and emotional health going into one of the most powerful moments of your life!

What pain relief strategies worked best?

For me movement was huge- whether that was moving my hips on the birthing ball of rocking back and forth on hands and knees. I think the rhythmic motion gave me something to focus on other than the intensity. I also found a lot of relief in having the mindset of "this intensity will only last a few more seconds" at the peak of my contractions.

How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?

I was in absolute awe that this tiny human has spent the last 9 months growing inside of me. You always hear that it is indescribable but until you go through it, you don't quite fully get it.

What did you name your baby, and why?

We didn't find out our baby's gender until she was born, but for months I had been certain we were having a girl. We named her Noah, after a lesser known female character in the Bible with that name.

What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?

Guard your heart and mind from other people's negative birth stories- not out of lack of compassion, but out of protection for your own mental and emotional health going into one of the most powerful moments of your life!