Childbirth is one of the scariest bravest things I’ve ever done. No two births are the same. Though I did it three times prior (two of three natural births) I had just as much anxiety for the fourth time. Not because I was scared, but because every delivery is different and after having three girls, I chose not to find out what my fourth child would be until delivery.
Before
The best thing to do as you reach the end zone is prepare your mind. I will be the first to tell you it hurts… a lot! But it’s all mental. Practice stretching, relaxing and breathing techniques. It really helps. One thing you can guarantee is that the pain won’t last forever. Endure for just a while and you will be glad you did.
Put some thought into your birth plan, but don’t be upset if it turns out differently. Get some extra cleaning out of the way and any last-minute errands taken care of. If you have smaller children get your support team ready and prep some meals.
As my due date was approaching, I applied everything stated above. I had my midwife friend come over and do some sound therapy along with some stretching. We practiced breathing and what positions may be helpful during labor. After a few false alarms I finally went into labor.
During
Considering I had a three year old and a 21 month old naturally and I’ve read tons of articles about labor I’m waiting for my contractions to become 2-3 minutes apart before I make any phone calls. My contractions are averaging about 5 minutes apart. Which was fine for me because I was enjoying that break in between contractions. about 10 hours of these consistent contractions my water finally breaks. But my contractions don’t speed up.
With my last child I had about 4 more contractions after my water broke and she was born. Here I am still waiting for my contractions to speed up. A few hours later I am Still averaging 5 even 7 minutes at times my body starts telling me to push. At the very minute is when my contractions increased and my sonshine was born. The most confusing 17 hours later my son was born weighing 9lbs .03oz.
After
After three girls, waiting to find out the sex of my baby was well worth the wait. I had a boy y’all!!
As I embrace our newest addition, I feel the need to go to the rest room and next thing you know the ambulance is called and I am being rushed to the hospital. I’ll share why in a later blog. I instantly went from bliss to “is this really happening to me?”
Here is what I took from it all. First things first be thankful! For all of it. We take a lot of the simple things we are privy too for granted. Second, Heal! If you have been following me for a while this is why I got quiet. I took all the time I needed to get well, and I enjoyed every minute of my isolation. You can’t pour from an empty cup. Lastly, childbirth can take a toll on you not only physically, but emotionally. Remember you just brought a human into the world so be easy on yourself. You don’t have to snapback right away. You don’t have to look so put together either. Slow down and embrace the beginning of this journey because that was the easy part!
Was your birth experience what you thought it would be? Comment, like, subscribe and share!