When I decided in my third trimester that I wanted to try for a natural labor, I knew I was giving myself a late start. I felt the need to work extra hard to make up for lost time. I was ecstatic when I ended up having the best birth I could have imagined for myself. Now that it’s been almost 10 months since that wonderful day, here is a comprehensive list of all the things I did to prepare for my natural birth goal.
First, I researched doulas and found one that fit our budget, beliefs, and birth goals. My doula team was amazing for me and the real reason why I was able to go epidural-free. You can read my full review of my doulas here.
I also watched a lot of YouTube videos about natural birth. For me, the most helpful video about preparing for a natural birth was this one:
Lastly, I did a lot of research about baby-positioning and the daily activities I could do to get centered and in shape for labor. After doing all this research, I created a daily to-do list for myself. Here it is:
- 30 to 50 squats each morning.
- Walk at least 1 mile around the local track.
- Cat/Cow pelvic exercise at least 10 minutes.
- Practice the Forward Leaning Inversion at least twice.
- Hold a deep-seated squatting position for at least 10 minutes.
- Try several other stretches.
- Drink 3 to 5 cups of red raspberry leaf tea.
- Practice “J” breaths.
- Practice relaxing every muscle of the body on command.
- Massage jaw muscles, practice relaxing them.
- Pray for peace and contentment during labor.
- Go over scripture memory cards:
- Listen to birth playlist during daily walk.
Another reason I had such a great birth is that I had a clear birth plan and a wonderful hospital, amazing doctor, and compassionate nurse staff. Here is my personal birth plan. Do your research and make sure you feel completely comfortable with any decisions that are made for you and your baby. Making a good birth plan ensures that you are well-educated about the labor process and possible medical interventions involved, and also ensures that your doctor and nurses know your specific wishes for your birth and can refer to it if needed.
My biggest advice to any expectant mother who wants to try for a natural birth is to just go for it. Giving birth naturally gave me an incredible boost of energy, confidence in my ability to be a mother, and a spiritual, epiphany-like experience that I may never be able to put into words. It also gave me an incredible amount of respect for women who have their children with epidurals, c-sections, or any other interventions. No matter what route your labor and delivery takes, you have the ability to be a great parent. You were made to do this–you have nothing to fear and only joy to look forward to!
Haley's Thoughts 
