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When did you realize you were really in labor?
I had about 36 hours of prodromal labor, and after that I was ready to go, so about 6 am I started doing some spinning babies things to help him engage. Contractions got more intense right away and within a few hours I was sure it was the day.
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
The intensity! I had an epidural with my first, so I never got the chance to feel my hips spreading apart, or transition, or pushing. It was frankly a little scary but I was working so hard I never got around to asking for nitrous oxide, which my birthing center offers laboring mothers.
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
The most helpful thing was an amazing refresher course I took with a local doula. The class gave me a lot of confidence to know that when things were really intense, my body was working hard to get my baby out.
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What surprised you about your birth?
How much easier my recover and bonding was! I had an epidural with my first after a marathon labor, ended up tearing pretty badly, and it took a while to feel like I loved my baby. Giving birth naturally was completely different and so worth it!
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Prepare! Read birth stories, take a class, have coping techniques available, and find a practitioner who supports natural birth
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
Having my husband and midwife give counter pressure and hip squeezes, showering, moaning low and deep through intense contractions
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What position did you end up delivering in?
On my hands and knees on the bathroom floor.
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
Amazing! Since I was on hands and knees they initially put him on my back and I could hardly believe he was really there.
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What advice can you give to other mamas who want to go natural?
Prepare! Read birth stories, take a class, have coping techniques available, and find a practitioner who supports natural birth
