Christy's Natural Birth Story
The Natural Birth Story
I have two sons, both birthed naturally and am pregnant again. My older son was born in a birth center with a midwife and doula, a nurse and several family members were present. I wanted to have a homebirth, but could not find anyone that would come to my house.
Overall though, I was very pleased with the birth center and all their midwives. They were always so warm, friendly and caring. The only thing I didn't like was the one time I saw their on staff OB a few days before labor. He painfully jabbed my belly and sat down across the room. Thank God he didn't do an internal exam! This was not the gentle palpating I was used to from the midwives. I had been quite dialated for weeks before labor, yet he was a week late. A midwife had offered to break my water, but I believe in letting nature take its course.
The first real contraction hit about 8:15 pm. Within an hour, they were coming fast and hard. We left for the birth center, about 20 minutes away. I threw up many times including all over myself while hanging my head out the car window. Not fun! I got to the center before the midwife and vomited off their porch. As soon as I could get inside, I ripped off my vomit clothes, and got in their very large bath tub.
I had read it was very important to keep relaxed, so passed contractions by looking in the doula's eyes, and keeping relaxed, except for sqeezing my husband's hand. I had to poop and got on the toilet, a position I liked. But then, the midwife suggested I try the bed. I had 3 contractions on my back with legs up, which I hated, but was too tired to tell anyone.
Finally, I managed to, and they helped me up to my knees. They told me I pushed for an hour. His heart rate was getting low and they were worried, so my midwife said I needed an episiotomy to get him out fast. As soon as she cut me, he shot out at 1 am.
So for my first baby, labor took less than 5 hours. I could hardly move my legs afterward, which I felt was do to the position I was put in and did not like. It seemed to really fatigue my thigh muscles. I was able to take a shower and felt fine by the next morning when we went home.
It never even occured to me to want pain meds. I
just felt
this is what you had to go through to have a baby. I was so glad to
have had a natural childbirth and knew I would choose to do so again.
