Birth Stories: My Natural Birth
My son’s 1st birthday party was at our favorite mini golf spot. The real reason behind the locale: A year earlier I went into labor around the fifth hole there! It was two weeks and five days before my due date so I spent the thirteen holes thinking I was experiencing Braxton Hicks.
My bags weren’t packed, but my birth plan was set. It was simple: No epidural, be ready to push in every position, and no episiotomy. When I made it to the hospital, I followed all the natural birth tips my birthing classes had provided. While everything I learned did come in handy, what really got me through the delivery was having trust in myself.
It wasn’t easy -- I felt like the baby I waited nine months to meet was sucking every ounce of life out of me. I tried walking through the pain, lying down, sitting up, and every breathing technique Lamaze taught. My partner, Jay, was a huge help. He was my voice when I couldn’t talk loud enough, my cane when I couldn’t walk, my pillow when I couldn’t be on the bed, and when I looked in his eyes they only told me that I could do it.
However, I wasn’t told that when you feel like you’re going to poop that means the baby is coming. Before, I knew it I was pushing. I didn’t have an epidural and I really think that it was a blessing to feel everything. Feeling the contractions let me know when to push, instead of relying on a nurse or doctor’s instruction.
I wanted to scream when I felt the “ring of fire.” The truth is, screaming didn’t help me feel any less pain. It actually tightened up my muscles and made those final pushes more difficult. I found that growling was the perfect way to release my frustration without prolonging my boy’s arrival!
At 4:26 a.m., my son, Jackson Stuart joined the world. He is perfect and I hope he trusts me to always love him. My natural birth experience was not a walk in the park -- or a putt on the golf course! -- but I wouldn’t have had it any other way!
Photo by Frank Alarcon on Unsplash
