Note: I’ve only given birth once and I chose to do it without drugs at a birthing center. With that said, these things might/ probably do happen with epidurals in a hospital setting, but I really don’t know. I’m going to share our birth story along with 8 things I didn’t realize happen during child birth! UPDATE: Here are 15 things I’ve learned about infants!
Oh and in between the story I’m sharing Maxwell Dorobek cuteness!
Max’s official due date was March 15th. He graced us with his presence 8 days later, early on March 23rd! Andy’s family was in town. His mama is a teacher in Oregon and always comes to Texas for her spring break. Andy’s brother is in college in NYC and was also in Texas for his spring break. Andy’s dad drove in town to see Casey. And, Russ, Andy’s other brother lives in Austin. All of that to say the birth story starts with a family dinner at a delicious Thai restaurant in Austin on Saturday March 22nd. (The Thai thing comes into play later.)
After dinner, we decided to grab desert and tea at a cute little bakery down the street called Quacks. I nibbled on a tasty brownie, carrot cake, and the most delicious ginger cookie I’ve ever tasted. As a prego, going to the bathroom once an hour had become the new norm and I did my hourly deed to discover a waterfall gush of what I later determined was some good ol’ amniotic fluid.
8 Things I didn’t know about natural childbirth
1. Water breaking myths
Your water might break in a coffee shop with your in laws and be a huge gush, not just a little trinkle like people say.
Thankfully, I was wearing my prego uniform of black yoga pants and an over sized shirt and hid the gush well. I quietly told Andy I need to go home. Now. We didn’t even tell his fam. I guess at that point I wasn’t 100% sure if I peed on myself, was dying, or my water broke! It was late enough to play the “I’m so tired and pregnant card” and head home without anyone asking questions.
On our way home, more gushes happened in the car. Yea, I was sitting in a puddle of amniotic fluid. Cute, huh? I called the midwife in the car on the way home. She confirmed that my water had in fact broken and I was not dying. Thank goodness. I was not having any contractions and she told me to go home and get some rest. It was 11:00pm at this point.
Andy was freaking out. Running around the house packing bags, asking me over and over if there is anything I need. I felt 100% normal at this point. No contractions. No nothing. Just an amniotic fluid waterfall an hour and half earlier. We decided to watch a little Netflix. Two episodes of the Office to be exact, and calm Andy down, haha! Then it started. A few little menstrual cramp like pains. Nothing crazy.
2. Contraction= menstrual cramp pain
But, the cramping pain gets worse and worse and worse.
By about 12:30am, I couldn’t lay in bed anymore. I was hot, then cold, then hot. Had to go to the bathroom. I was uncomfortable. Thank goodness the bathroom remodel is over and the floors are free of chipping paint! Oh and not only was I uncomfortable with the whole contraction thing, I was nauseous.
3. Nausea during labor
You might throw up during labor. And I don’t suggest eating spicy Thai food before you go into labor. Laying on the bathroom floor felt the most comfortable to me because the tile was cold, my bathrobe was available, the bathtub was very near (for the puking) and the toilet was a necessity. Andy would bring me water and ask what he could do to help, but I kept thinking we would head to the birthing center and I would whip out all of my tricks (birthing ball and bag of goodies my friend put together for me). Andy was on the phone with the midwife who wanted my contractions to be one minute long and 4 minutes a part for one hour before I came to the birthing center.
4. Timing contractions is kind of impossible
At some point, I couldn’t talk anymore. Not to mention, contractions (at least for me) were not black and white. There was a lot of grey. It’s not like a contraction ended and I felt 100%. Communicating when a contraction started and stopped was tricky and really tricky for Andy, who was having to judge by my convulsing body or moans!
All I can say is that I was getting less and less rest time and feeling more and more pain. Finally at about 6:00am Andy made the executive decision that we were going to the birthing center. He threw all of the bags he had packed the night before in the car and helped pathetic me into the car. Thankfully, there was no traffic and I laid the car seat back and attempted to breathe. Not a fun car ride. We beat the midwife to the center by about a minute. She opened the door, I sprinted to a bed, and delivered Max 4 minutes later! She put his sweet body on my belly and it was instant relief.
5. You don’t have to physically push
Your body just does it. Oh and it does not hurt nearly as bad as the contractions.
6. Body shaking
After you deliver the baby, your body shakes for what seems like forever (30 minutes?). It’s kind of scary, but apparently normal.
7. Deliver placenta
After you deliver baby, you have to deliver the placenta. I had to get a shot of Pitocin in my butt to help the placenta come faster. I was not expecting a shot! This was all very scary to me.
8. Uterus mushing
After placenta and baby are delivered, they mush on your uterus. This does not feel good. At all. The midwife tried to call it a uterus massage. I was not amused.
After all of the that, sweet baby is still laying on your belly, and they ask you to breastfeed him! And the baby does it! I was impressed. I thought Max was a genius… how in the world did he already know how to do that?! And the sweet little guy breastfed for about 2 hours!
Andy, Max, and I hung out at the birthing center all day. We did have 3 visitors, but mostly just enjoyed our time with the little guy and rested. My midwife took our vitals every hour and helped us get acquainted with the whole breast feeding thing. We were home by 6:00pm that evening. People keep asking me if I’d do it this way again… my answer is, “Absolutely!” I mean as long as there are no complications and everything goes as planned I would love to do the natural birth thing at my birthing center again. Although, next time I would insist that I go to the birthing center a little sooner.
Did you have your baby a birthing center? Did these things happen to you? If you had your babe at a hospital with an epidural, do these things still happen? Or what about after a c-section? Is anyone super brave and had a home birth? I’d love to hear! Psst… we are doing newborn pics today, check out some sneak peeks on instagram!
If you’d like to hear me to tell my birth story, you can listen to it on The Birth Hour!
Comments & Reviews
I had 3 with natural births. My labors cut in half each time. I don’t recommend a 4 hour labor it is real intense.
Not that you have a choice. I did one pain shot with the first and it worked for about an hour, helped me sleep in between each contraction.
My daughters have had to have c-sections and I feel they missed out. they had no choice!!
Congrats on the beautiful boy. I’ve delivered two little girls. Both in hospitals, both under my own power. I had relatively easy pregnancies for both, as well as quick labors and deliveries, but some of the details were different. Waters trickled slowly with #1. I didn’t realize what it was. And it started a few days before I felt any contractions, which started really small. Enema’s are a pain. I was then staples in bed to a monitor until baby was born about five hours later. Waters really broke with #2. Thankfully I was in bed and close to my bathroom. It did continue over time. I knew what was possible this time. I asked for intermittent monitoring and walked back and forth from the hospital bed to the birthing room bathroom.
With #1 they took her for washing up and such. I didn’t get to try nursing her for a while. #2 was placed immediately on my chest and she latched on immediately. With #1 I had an adrenaline high and I got me through a post-episiotomy + tear stitch up (feeling better after that took a year). I had no high with #2 but I did have her presence to help me through the placenta delivery and tiny natural tear stitch-up.
So, yeah. Many things are common. But it all varies by woman and between pregnancies.
I had a natural birth at a hospital. I had contractions for about 24 hours before my water broke, and my husband was freaking out the whole time too. Oh, and they weren’t little contractions. Big contractions for a whole day. At one point my husband insisted I go to the hospital, although I didn’t think it was time. They told me I wasn’t technically in labor because there was no dilation, but they could tell I was because my contractions were off the charts. They literally couldn’t register them on their machine. We went back home and when my water broke, I knew it was time. Still, I had to push for an hour. I also had blood clots after I delivered my placenta. (Not fun! Guess what? They have to clean those out by hand. Three times.) When all was said and done, they asked if I needed ibuprofen or something stronger. The doctor looked at the nurses and said, “If she could just do what she did without drugs, she doesn’t need anything more than an ibuprofen.” In the end, it all worked out, and I got my little girl Olive. And I would do it all again.
I love this post and all the stories!
Congrats on your little one!! I had three very different labors- with my first my water broke (gushed) at a restaurant with my husband- it was fun watching the waiters freak out a bit-lol and he was delivered 19 hours later all natural- WHoo! My second was a week late and I woke up dreaming about contractions at 1 AM- we went in to the hospital around 2 and he was born a little after 8AM- again natural and the best delivery. My third was again late, big and so they induced me- my biggest nightmare and for good reason! It was AWFUL! My contractions NEVER stopped and I finally got my first epidural 🙁 He was born and they said at least 2 weeks overdue- so good think I was induced or who knows what would have happened! I will say while that was the worst labor it was the best recovery. It’s so fun to hear everyone’s stories! Enjoy that little one!
So true. I had six, all natural, no epidurals. I am glad, even though at the time I sure would have gone for some drugs. 🙂 The one thing I found was with each it didn’t get all that much easier, but in a lot of ways, harder. One thing is after you have one you know what to expect. Congrats on the beautiful little one.
I just happened upon your site and loved your birth story! What a cutie pie! That pic with your husband is awesome. I had four natural births, all very different, but you got most everything that they never tell you. Enjoy that precious Max!!
Wow! 4 natural births! You’re a rock star!
Congrats on a beautiful healthy boy! I was induced and had a completely different experience than you. I cant’t believe how big he was! My boy was just a tad bigger and I looked a hot mess while pregnant! Breastfeeding rocks. We have overcome tons of obstacles and are going strong at five months! Learn to nurse laying down. that has been such a lifesaver! And it is SO true, they will be big before you know it, so enjoy your little baby!
Sounds like you rocked it. My husband would have had a sense of humour failure long before that point though, which is why I had both mine in hospital. Great job CRAFT family: little Max is awesome.
I’m a grandma of 6 now, mother of 4, so my experiences were before most of today’s methods and technology–but not quite cavewoman era! 1st birthing experience was 1970 and most births were in a hospital, with drugs or anesthesia. Living just outside Phila. PA, there was only 1 hospital in the city trying a pilot program on natural childbirth–but I couldn’t get signed up for the program. BUT, I read their book that a friend had used in the program, and it was a good thing! I woke at 4AM to use toilet, then returned to bed. A few minutes later back in bed the trickle thing happened. Then a few cramps & pressure on cervix. Woke my husband, he panicked; I spent 15 min calming him while I got 3 real contractions. He got up to get dressed to take me to the hospital and noted I was spotting, so I stayed put til he was ready. We had to pass through our bathroom to get out of the BR, so I made a potty stop as we passed through–but had a baby while there! He fished her out of “the swimming hole” and ran to get our landlord who was a Dr while I stayed sitting on the throne with a very tiny pink person on my lap. On his way back up the stairs to our apartment, I pressed on a “lump” on my abdomen, thinking to myself, “this placenta ought to pass soon.” I was rather shocked to feel “it” kick me in response the the pressure I’d applied! “Afterbirth doesn’t kick! That means there’s another!” I thought. With that my hubby entered the room and asked how we were. I told him “the lump kicks.” He literally turned green and slumped down to sit on the old iron tub, and almost as soon as his butt hit the edge his 6’4″ bounced back up declaring he wasn’t going fishing for another one, and was getting me back to the bed. He delivered the second, born breech, before the doctor arrived in his white shirt, tie and cufflinks. The doc checked us out, gave me a pitocin shot to prevent hemorraging and told my husband to go bury the placenta in a nearby field on the property, then helped change the bed, and left us. This delivery was 6 1/2 wks early so I wanted a pediatrician to check them, but we had no phone so it took a bit til we managed everything to do so by about noon. My daughters were 2# 5oz & 2# 13 oz, and stayed in the hospital 6 weeks til they each hit 4# 15 oz to be released. I tried to nurse them while still at home–they were weak but each tried. For the next 6 weeks I was not allowed to hold or touch them–just look through glass–that was protocaol in those days–so I was really glad to have had those few hours at home with them, holding, feeding, giving oil baths under a heat lamp (things I knew about because my mother had been an obstetrics nurse at a city hospital years earlier). I did express milk and deliver for them daily. They did well, though had been given only 50% chance of survival. They will be 44 yrs old next week. 7 & 10 years later I had 2 more home births, both planned with a Dr, then a midwife. All my labors were short, though not as short as the first, and each with its own story. Being young and naive got me through the first birth and early motherhood surprized with twins. Cherished memories! PS My experience ran counter so some 17 sets of statistics, so while unusual stuff can happen, it’s highly unlikely. But if it would–you can manage with healthy children–especially these days.
LOVE your story! That is nuts that you had twins! I’m happy all worked out and they were healthy and thriving 🙂 Happy early 44th b-day girls!!
Your name caught my eye because I’m also a Lydia…and I am a twin, by the way! Your story was definitely amazing. Pregnancy and giving birth is something that I am looking forward to in the future, but reading about how different everyone’s births stories are is really interesting. Pushing down on your stomach and feeling a kick…my heart was pounding! I really wonder what it felt like to be in your shoes at that moment. I applaud your husband for his quick thinking! I am totally agreeing with Jamie about how all these birth stories are really great to read about.
I gave birth for the first time at the end of January. I am very much a planner and had planned how I wanted my birth experience to go! It is extremely hard to get a midwife in southern Manitoba (Canada) so I gave birth in a hospital with a doula and my husband as my support. I was SOOO looking forward to having a natural birth. But that was not in the cards for me (this time). I was stuck in transition for 3 hours drug free, at 8cm. The doctor then said I was likely to stay there and no progress more, since i would only get more tired and not be able to relax enough to get to 10cm. I was giving the choice of oxytocin speed up and intensify contractions (that was a BIIIIIIG NO!!!!) and the other option was epidural. : ( So i chose the lesser of 2 evils, epidural it was. I was very fortunate that I had zero side effects, not even mild headache or itching! I could also still feel the pressure of needing to push. Even though things went a little awry I loved the whole birth experience, there is nothing like having your sweet little babe plopped on your chest after nine long months of brewing. I am so looking forward to doing this again, and again and maybe even a 4th time. Hoping I can get a midwife, and do it naturally next time.
I love seeing pictures of your sweet little boy. Where did you get those blocks for his name? I would love to get a nice looking set of the alphabet
Ditto to seeing the babe on your chest after 9 months of brewing!! I love hearing everyones birth story! The blocks are from CB2 🙂
My two births were both natural births Ina hospital birthing center. My water broke with my first, and is was instructed to head to the hospital as soon as that happened. I had a TON of back labor, which was hard. I had to push for three hours. They have me a 10 minute deadline and said if I didn’t get him out I was heading to the OR. That’s ALL I needed and got him out… Except he has the cord wrapped around his neck and wasn’t making noise so they whisked him off and I didn’t get the experience of holding him and my hubby didn’t get to cut the cord. While they were tending him, I was hemorrhaging. It took about 2.5 hours for the dr to get the bleeding to stop and me stitched up and the placenta delivered, etc. I finally got to hold my little guy 3 hours after his birth. He was doing much better but had to be on oxygen for a while. The birthing nurse came in and I asked her a question and she looked at me and said “OH! That’s what your voice sounds like! I didn’t hear you make a peep that whole time!” She said I must have a high pain threshold. I told her I’m just stubborn! Lol my second was also natural and sooo much different! I was 6 cm dialated and 10 mins later I had to push. The nurse told me not to, I shouldn’t be ready and the doctor was across the street. I told her I didn’t have a choice, so she checked and I was at 10! They hustled, I started to push, the doctor came running in and 15 minutes later, my hubby cut the cord and I was nursing my beautiful baby girl! I would totally so natural again… Mostly because I cannot stand the thought of getting a needle in my back! Haha congrats on Max. He is a handsome little man and you both look like you are doing amazing. Parenthood is the best.
I’m dying that u were inside for only 4 mins haha!! Also most of these are very similar to me and I pretty much had opposite situations than you! I can’t wait to meet max he is so precious!!!
Wow Jamie! You made it with 4 minutes to soars. That is insane and awesome that you had a short labor! I had to be induced because of health issues toward the end and I labored for 22 hours. I had an IV of pictocin and 11 hours in I had to get an epidural. I was in the worst pain of my life. I was never about to fully dialated and therefor ended up with a c-section. So stinking happy for you guys. I can’t believe our abides are finally here!
I delivered both my girls naturally in a hospital without any pain meds, and they were both totally different! My first daughter my water broke when I was fully dialated, and then I had to push for about an hour. My second delivery I laboured mostly at home. I was 9 cm and my water had not broken, and they gave me the option of having it broke or waiting – I asked them to break it! Less than 5 minutes later and 2 good pushes I had my daughter! I think the pushing was a lot more painful than the contractions since it felt like one huge continuous contraction to me. I’m glad your L&D was quick! I always feel terrible for women who are in labour for hours or days!
I have had one child in the hospital with an epidural and one accidentally at home without. My first, my water broke but it just trickled for a few hours. As soon as I got to the hospital to get checked, my water officially broke as I was getting on the table to be examined. About an hour or so later, I had my epidural. I also threw up but I didn’t throw up until right before it was time to push. I don’t remember having the shakes after my first but I may have. I breast feed her immediately as well. I didn’t have to push my placenta out, I guess my midwife just got it. Lol And they will always push on your uterus after for a few hours to make sure it is going back to normal size and you don’t hemorrhage. My second, who was just born in November, was born at home after being in labor for less than 2 hrs. My water broke with her but it was just a trickle again then nothing. She was blocking it with her head. I had horrible back labor. My body cleaned itself out like my first, down below, and before I could leave my house, my body took over and pushed her out in 2 mins. I do remember shaking like crazy after she was born. I didn’t deliver the placenta until I got to the hospital. It was detached just didn’t come out so the nurses literally threw themselves onto my belly to delivery it. Talk about painful! So much worse than the actually delivery of my daughter.
Thanks for sharing your story Jamie, it’s a particularly beautiful one! I’m 24 weeks pregnant with my 2nd and needed to hear more good stories to get me pumped to do this again 🙂
My daughter’s birth was a good one, my waters broke first too. Apparently that’s not too common! I had no contractions but rang the hospital, they said “come in and we’ll make sure you’re ok, but you’ll probably end up going home”. By the time I showered and dressed, got to the hospital, I had contractions 3 minutes apart! Labor is a funny thing, can be unpredictable at times.
I am so glad everything went so well for you, and that that baby is so beautiful and healthy. I had my son naturally, so if you don’t mind, I will add to the list.
First, you have to find what makes you mt comfortable through the pain. My nurse suggested some stripper moves as a means of rotating the hips. This was soo uncomfortable for me since my son dropped so low. The squatting and rotating was so awkward! For me, hot water did the trick. I alternated between walking and showering. I would pace the room for 10 minutes, then go sit in a hot shower while my husband ran the shower sprayer up and down my front and back. Then I would sit in bed and rest for another 10 minutes. I lasted easily through 7 cm. After 8 cm it was too painful to get out of bed.
Yes, be prepared to throw up on yourself, whether you eat or not. Also be prepared to pee or poo in the bed. You pretty much lose control of all functions down below. Just go with it. That baby is worth peeing yourself!
I agree about the end being a haze. I barely remember it. Toward the tail end of my contractions, I sort of lost my grip on self-awareness. My body knew what it was doing and completely took over. That’s okay. Let your body do its thing!
I don’t know about you, but I beared down so hard, pushed on the stirrups so hard, that afterwards my legs went numb. Completely and totally numb, as if I had had an epidural. The feeling slowly came back after about 12 hours.
Don’t be afraid of tearing. You won’t even feel it. The pain everywhere is so extreme, a slight tearing pales in comparison. It was no worse feeling than someone running a fingernail down my arm. I I had to ask my doctor if thats what it was.
And lastly, make sure you poop afterwards. Docs like to know you can have a good bowel movement after labor!
XO,
Steph
It’s so funny how everyone’s birth stories are different. My baby girl was born on 2/21, after 44 hours of labor and a failed epidural. Also, pushing hurt way worse than contractions for me. We delivered in a hospital with a midwife which I loved. Thanks for sharing Max’s story!
Thanks for sharing your story…I wanted the at home birth due to many family members going that route when I was younger and my Aunt and Uncle being midwives. But, much to my wants…the husband, a former EMT and current firefighter, said absolutely not. We did reach an agreement of no drugs and natural in the hospital though. I am with you on contractions…except I started having them at 20 weeks and was 3cm–and didn’t know it. After 19 weeks of solid bed rest (YUCK), along with weekly and bi weekly appointments, at a visit the doctor I was informed the baby was progressing and I could come off bed rest. Before checking in to the hospital, I had already been having regular contractions again, about 3-5 minutes apart for two days. My contractions were hot flashes…long story short, I had our daughter in the hospital with pitocin only…and only took stool softners afterwards. Yes, it is pretty amazing about the breastfeeding so quickly. I also donated around 6,000 ounces of my milk to the milk bank in Austin.
I’m so impressed that you donated 6000 oz! Wow! I’ve thought about donating too… Gotta see if I’m a good milker 🙂
Every little bit helps those tiny ones. I think if I wouldn’t have worked full time I could have given more. My husband and family started calling me a jersey cow…haha! The Milk Bank is awesome and has lots of resources.
I totally feel like a “Jersey Cow”! haha 🙂
I had a home birth, but my water didn’t break until 45 minutes before my son was born. So 27 hours and 15 minutes of labor before my water broke and 45 minutes of labor & delivery after my water broke. I had no interventions, but next time, I will get my water broken earlier.
I agree, your body kinda knows what to do and so does the baby. I had a great experience and hope to have another home birth when I get pregnant again.
Wow, my births were so similar! My contractions for both were all over the place and were never more than 5 minutes apart from the beginning. I labor super intense but quick! With my first, after 5 hours of laboring at home we decided to go to the hospital. Got there at 8:15 and Jack was born at 8:33. They didn’t even have time to check me in! Max was three hours of labor at home. My midwife actually missed the delivery so Jim actually had to catch him. You’re so right about your body just pushing the baby out. I couldn’t stop Max coming if I wanted to! I loved having a home birth with a midwife. You can’t underestimate the comfort of your own bed. Thanks for sharing, I love hearing birth stories!
That’s so neat that Jim got to catch him! Andy kind of wanted too, but everything happened so quick!
p.s. forgot to say CONGRATS! He is precious!
Thank you 🙂
Oooo the throwing up part, that scares me. LOL… I have a 6 year old and am preggo with my second. I really want to try doing it without an epi. Fingers crossed I can make it though.
You can do it!!!! And congrats!
I only delivered my first one naturally.. but I did have an epidural. I planned on having the epidural, but was open to not doing it if I felt like I could handle the pain. Unfortunately I had back labor and it literally felt like somebody was tearing my body in half and I wasn’t even dialated to a 2 yet. 18 hours later I finally had a baby. He weighted 9lbs 12 oz. I pushed for over 3 hours and needless to say I felt every stinkin bit of it. Apparently they won’t give you any more medicine once you start pushing. Well they actually made me STOP pushing after about 30 minutes this is where the medicine stopped working. All the sudden I could feel EVERYTHING. Worst 3 hours of my life, but so worth it in the end : ) I was so happy to see his little face. He had shoulder dystocia, and the pure fact that he was the biggest baby they had seen that entire year (he was born Dec. 20th) I had 2 c sections after monitoring both my other kids growth. Most of that stuff does transfer to birth with epidurals and even c sections. I shook terrible after my last c section.
So excited for you guys and I’m so proud of you going all natural!! : ) Good work mama!
9lb 12 oz… wow! I hadn’t even thought about c-sections… that’s good to know that the same stuff happens with c-sections too!
My oldest was breech and wouldn’t turn and there was no where that would permit a breech delivery so I ended up with a C-section (and repeats for my 2nd and 3rd sons). It was a very hard thing for me because I had wanted a birth similar to yours but I found that lots of skin-to-skin contact after the surgeries and embracing breastfeeding helped me to get past the disappointment that my births didn’t go as I planned. Bottom line was I got healthy babies out of it so I’m grateful. I loved hearing your story though, thank you for sharing it! Max is beautiful!
Skin to skin is so fun 🙂 And healthy babies is really all that matters in the end!
Water can also break during your birthday dinner at a fancy Italian restaurant! That’s how my little sister decided to let my mom know she was on her way. My mom being my mom, just got an extra table cloth to sit on and calmly at her risotto and most of my dads food since he was outside freaking out.
Congrats on your little man, he is adorable! Thanks for sharing your story and all the adorable baby pics!
Congrats Jamie! Your baby boy is adorable and I love his name. My water broke like that too with my first…AT WORK no less! I didn’t even know I was having contractions! It was embarrassing as ever. I’ve never gotten to deliver naturally, two c-sections here, but I actually went through labor with my first and the contractions are horrible, I’m so impressed with women that choose to go natural because when the going got tough, I got the epidural. I couldn’t take it. 🙂 Anyways, CONGRATS and I hope you’re doing well and getting lots of rest. xox
First time commenter here: I just wanted to say thank you for sharing your birth story, they are like my favorite to read since each one is SOOO different. I tried to go the all natural route but in a hospital. Luckily I was there because everything that could go wrong did and I ended up having to have an emergency c-section. 11 years later I have three awesome kids. So it all works out the way it should. I think the natural way is the best way for our bodies and commend you for sticking to it! And almost all of your 8 are true I think either way 🙂 Congrats!!
I had all three of mine at home with a midwife. Every labor is different. The first one I had stop and start contractions and didn’t really push, she just came. The second one my midwife called a train labor because the contractions were continuous and all different strengths. It was miserable. That one I did have to push. It was the worst labor I could have imagined. The third one I carried my fear of having a similar labor over into the birth. I’m still happy I didn’t have an epidural and that we did it naturally at home (because that is so nice) but the fear held me back from relaxing and doing more to help the labor along. I wouldn’t change any of it though. The hardest labor produced my easiest going child and the easiest labor produced the most strong willed child that the world will ever meet!
Congrats to you and Andy. Max is adorable.
That’s so interesting that sometimes you have to push and sometimes you don’t! Thank you, Bobbie 🙂