Natural Childbirth, Contractions, Baby Delivery, Epidural

As I write this, my youngest daughter is 10 weeks old. Although I had already experienced childbirth about 2.5 years ago with my oldest daughter (and first child), I was very insecure with the delivery of my second daughter. I was insecure about whether I would recognize the contractions and know when to head towards the hospital, since my contractions had not started on their own with my first pregnancy (they were induced).

I asked all my mommy friends about their personal experiences with contractions and I searched the Internet seeking descriptions that would help me recognize when it would be time to go to the hospital. Even after all this, I was insecure until the end. As a result, I thought it would help to share my personal experience in case it provides some comfort to an expectant mom.

Contractions

For me, the contractions felt very similar to constipation (excuse me for being so unpleasantly direct!) and the painful menstrual cramps that I had experienced in my teenage years. My menstrual cramps had been so irregular and painful (they were handicapping) as a teenager that my father (an OB/GYN) put me on birth control pills so that the menstrual cycles would be regulated and more moderate. Soon after my last delivery, I realized how much my menstrual cycles had prepared me for the pain of childbirth (and I’m sure in other ways as well).

The Delivery

When I arrived at the hospital this last time, I was already 9.5 cm dilated. Much to my disappointment at the time, the nurses and doctor said that there wasn’t much point in getting an epidural (which I had with my first delivery) since I had already come so far and clearly had a high pain threshold. (That was something I hadn’t known about myself: I have a high pain threshold.)

They said the actual childbirth experience wouldn’t be too different (in terms of the pain) from what I had experienced so far with the contractions. (Even at 9.5 cm dilated, I wasn’t confident that I was in labor!) So, I had to pass on the epidural because I couldn’t justify the potential complications of one. Plus, the doctor said that by the time they do the epidural, the baby’s head may be poking out.

In the end, I pushed for 15 minutes and was lucky to deliver a healthy, beautiful girl. I was surprised at how much my yoga practice helped me through the whole experience.

Pregnant Warrior 3

Yoga Was My Inadvertent Preparation

There are innumerable things that yoga can do but, among them, is finding peace, balance and harmony during uncomfortable positions or situations. My whole natural childbirth experience was one major yoga practice! I just focused on my yoga breathing through the whole ordeal and before I knew it, I was holding my baby girl.

Prenatal Yoga

What I Wish I Knew Sooner About Natural Childbirth

I tend to be as natural as possible. I rarely take medications… I’ve never had even a minor surgery… However, I was planning on opting for the epidural because I had grown up always hearing that childbirth was the most painful experience ever. Even so, I was surprised at how afraid I was to experience the pain of childbirth because I’m generally a courageous person.

In hindsight, I’m so grateful that my circumstances where such that I had no reasonable choice but to give birth naturally. As a result, I feel incredibly empowered for having done it. I felt immediately connected to my second daughter as a result (with my first, I was happy to feel disconnected from the actual delivery since I knew I wanted more children and didn’t want to be traumatized away from having another child).

What I wish I knew sooner is that my body had been preparing me for the childbirth experience ever since I began my menstrual cycle. The natural childbirth experience has provided me with a deeper appreciation for, and confidence in, our bodies’ natural intelligence.

Virasana

For weeks after my last delivery, I wasn’t sure if I would elect to do it naturally the next time. The natural childbirth was both the worst and the most spectacular experience of my life. However, the unpleasant part was pretty awful.

Now that more time has passed (by the way, the recovery has been AMAZING!), I hope to be able to do it naturally next time as well. It’s definitely not for everyone. But, for me, I’m so grateful for the awareness I have for the journey of my youngest girl into this world and for being so plugged into that moment, and for the moments soon after. I would not elect to miss out on those moments with the next one! It was undoubtedly worth it.

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