My Birth Story - Part I

Its funny the things that excite me.

Labor excites me. I think that giving birth is such a beautiful thing because its from God. Knowing that God has enabled a woman to birth a child set me on a quest to explore the labor and delivery process some 10 years ago. When I found out that I was pregnant with my oldest, I, like so many other mothers enrolled in a Lamaze class so that I could prepare for labor.

There was one session in the class where the instructor went through the options that a woman has to deliver a child and she discussed the pros and cons. As she described the stages of labor and how the body literally “works” to birth the child I was fascinated at the mechanics of it all. To put it plainly, she explained that our bodies are equipped for birth without a need for medication as long as the baby and mother are healthy.

I remember my husband and I talking after that class about birth and if it was possible for me to labor without any medication so that I could benefit from quick recovery afterwards, no medication in my system (or going to baby) as part of labor, being able to avoid the epidural and having to chance impact to my spine, etc., etc., The benefits seemed to outweigh the other options if I could just take the “pain” that so many women say is involved with labor.

I’m all for a challenge! All anyone has to do is present a worthwhile idea to me and I’m ready to investigate, pray, and seek out if the idea makes sense.

In the months that followed preparing for my daughter’s birth, I read everything that I could get my hands on regarding natural childbirth. I think I had to have read about 50+ natural labor stories. I wanted to envision in my head what the birth process was like and how I needed to accommodate my mind and body to cope through whatever I was going to experience.

Fast forward to Love’s birth and I have to say that it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. With my trusty coach (Leon), by my side “we” birthed her without any medical intervention with a quick labor. A natural birth experience HAS to have a coach as part of the equation to motivate and encourage the birthing mother from the first contraction to the last.

Lea’s birth was also an amazing natural birth experience, but it met some challenges that thankfully we were able to overcome (another story for another time).

As we prepared for another birth, now 7 years later I was just as motivated to avoid medication, but to be honest I was a little nervous. Seven years is a long time. How had my body changed? Was I ready mentally? What if my tolerance for pain wasn’t the same?

Sunday night, October 6^th, the contractions started and there was no looking back….