Jennifer's Natural Childbirth Experience

Ever since I found out I was pregnant with my daughter, I knew I wanted to do it naturally, the way nature intended it to be.  All my friends were unsupportive: they told me I would "never make it".  Needless to say, I was determined!

 On July 10 (a week past my due date) at 5:30am, I started having my first contractions. They weren't painful but reassuring because I knew this would be the day I would meet my daughter.

On the way home from attending church with my husband, my contractions started to get stronger and closer together.  I knew I was in labor.  My husband and I went home and we packed our bags to go to the hospital.  Once we got there I hit "hard labor".  I made sure to tell my nurse that I had a birth plan that needed to be followed.

I remember being moved to a room down the hall and the midwife was trying to put me in different positions to ease the contractions and it wasn't helping.   I was worried that my labor was going to be filled with nurses telling me how I "should" have my baby. 

So my mother and my husband, seeing my distress, kicked the nurses out and I had the remainder of my delivery in a rocking chair with my husband at my head and my mother at my knees.

I remember the music playing so peacefully and my mother coaching me on.  There weren't any screams, just love...and when it came to me delivering my daughter, it was just my mother, my husband and my wonderful midwife. 

After my daughter was born, I had her on my chest the moment she came out.  She was so alert and I felt so proud that I gave my daughter the best welcoming I could into this world. 

It was the most beautiful moment of my life. And I knew that a natural childbirth experience  is a sacred and beautiful thing.