The majority of expectant mothers want to have a natural birth experience. But just don’t know what it takes to have a natural childbirth. At the time of my pregnancy, I didn’t know much about natural childbirth but I knew it was something I wanted and was determined to try.
I honestly didn’t know anybody that had a natural childbirth. So I headed to the internet and bought a few books on giving birth. Upon my research, I found that it was totally dependent on each expectant mother during pregnancy.
Do I need a birth plan?
One of the first things I research to do was to make a birth plan. But I also read that birth plans go out the window right when labor begins. So I didn’t make one. The only thing I planned was the outfit I was wearing to and from the hospital and what my newborn was going to wear.
I also didn’t attend any Lamaze classes or even watch any birthing videos during my pregnancy. I already remember that infamous video from middle school health. You know the one! It’s still the same one my students watch today.
But really, I thought the videos would make me nervous. Do you ever watch a movie and there is a woman giving birth? They make it look a lot worse than what it really is to me anyway.
The only things I wondered about the most: how painful childbirth was going to be and how am I going to know when I’m going into labor.
These questions, I never really got the full answer to at that time. As for now I know going into labor feels like very bad cramps, and childbirth is cramping to the maximum of the highest degree. Especially when giving birth naturally.
During the time of my pregnancy, I was young only 24. I am also very petite- I’m only 5’0, and at the time 111 pounds. I naturally thought I was going to have a difficult time giving birth. The only hindrance I had during my pregnancy was gaining weight. I had morning sickness really bad and was losing weight instead of gaining weight.
But I knew my body well. I had taken care of it by eating clean, working out regularly, and staying away from cigarettes and alcohol of any kind. So I readied myself for hopefully natural childbirth.
*This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you!
The 4 steps to natural childbirth:
1. Start walking.
A lot! Walking is one of the easiest things you can do to stay active while pregnant. It also keeps your weight down, which helps for a natural pregnancy. No matter how tired you are, try to walk every day as much as possible. It made me feel refreshed and happy that I wasn’t sitting around all day.
I never ran or jogged at all. I remember the first time I did a little jog after my son was born and I felt weird because it had been so long since it did that! I also had a little more fat on me than I did before!
2. Keep working.
I worked at a local newspaper, which took a lot of my time at various hours of the day. Not only did I work but I was going to school, taking a few education classes to become a teacher. At the time, there was another lady in my class who was pregnant and her due date was a couple weeks after mine so it felt comfortable. I continued to work and go to school, until just two days before I went into labor. It kept my mind active and it felt good getting a start at tackling my future goals.
3. I did Yoga for expectant mothers.
This was a game changer. I previously did yoga but this made me move in good ways that I was afraid to since being pregnant. It was also easy to find the time since I did it at home! I would pop in my DVD a few times a week and I would feel more relaxed at the end of the day. This helped with flexibility and even with the dreaded heartburn!
4. Don’t go to the hospital too soon.
The most important thing I did to have a natural childbirth was to wait out my contractions at home. At the time, I really didn’t know I was going into labor.
I remember when I first got a little feeling of a cramp; I just went to the bathroom and opted to stand up instead of sit on the couch.
I then just decided to go to sleep since it was late anyway. But when it became apparent that sleep wasn’t going to happen, I just got up, took a shower and headed to the hospital.
My slow pace of not rushing to the hospital at the face grimace of a cramp led me to walk into the hospital when I was already dilated to seven.
A couple hours later, my doctor broke my water. At that point the contractions start to come fast and a few hours later my son was born.
Final Thoughts
When I couldn’t find the answers, I did things my own way. I focused on staying active, being conditioned and worked on my flexibility.
In reality, sometimes having a natural childbirth is out of your control. Your doctor and your body will give you the answers to make any next steps in your birthing process.
Furthermore, this was my one and only experience of childbirth. I know it could differ if I have another child, with age, or any health conditions. As always consult with the experts because no two birth experiences are the same.
If you have any question or would like to share your birthing experience, natural or not, please leave a comment below!