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When did you realize you were really in labor?
I had some false labor a few days before real labor—and man did I feel silly for thinking the day of false labor could be the real thing! The contractions woke me up out of bed and the intensity of them was much different, I knew it was the day!
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What was the most challenging thing about going natural?
For me, it was changing my midwife at 30 weeks pregnant and going from a hospital birth to a home birth. I realized the hospital near me would be an uphill battle the entire labor to keep things natural, and I knew that would be the last thing I wanted to deal with! It was a tough decision to make, but I switched to a home birth midwife team and am so glad I did!
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What was the most helpful thing you did to prepare for childbirth?
I took the mama natural birth course and watched a TON of birth videos! Reading successful birth stories and watching home birth videos made me feel confident and prepared.
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What surprised you about your birth?
How much the water helped with labor. We had a birth pool and the warm water felt so nice. I was also surprised at how quickly it went by—7 hours of hard labor seemed like far less because I was so focused on getting through the contractions and had no concept of time.
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It really helped me be prepared for the stages of labor and have realistic expectations of how long things would take. Going in with all the knowledge you gain from this course had me not doubting myself at all throughout the labor!
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What pain relief strategies worked best?
The birth pool, holding onto my husband through contractions and moaning through the contractions.
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What position did you end up delivering in?
Sitting up with my back against the birth pool wall.
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How did it feel to hold your baby for the first time?
It was indescribable. So much love for this tiny little human you’re just meeting! I was relieved that labor was over. I was so proud of myself, and I’ll never forget how my husband looked at us.
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How did the Mama Natural Birth Class help you in your childbirth?
It really helped me be prepared for the stages of labor and have realistic expectations of how long things would take. Going in with all the knowledge you gain from this course had me not doubting myself at all throughout the labor!
