And I also stayed calm I grew up listening to my mom and my grandma talking about how shamful it was for women to scream and bash their husbands during labor and that if they would just calm down and focus on the task at hand they and the baby would be alot better off. And I took this advice to heart! I stayed calm and knew that as soon as that baby was here, the pain wouldnt matter anymore. The thought of getting to hold my baby after it was all done kept me going. With my daughter I had some fun with the nurses, I made a CD with silly fun songs on it and laughed the whole time at there faces everytime a new song started. (it contained everything from 50's music to songs from famous movies to songs "about the way I got into this situation" (suttle sex songs) like "I think were alone now"(a 50's song) The funniest was the song that was on when she actually came out. (David Bowe-Dance Magic from jim hensons the laberith{as she came out they sang "slap that baby make him scream"}) I was literally laughing as I pushed!

 

While during the actual pushing part of delivery I devised a method to help maximize the push and minimize my efforts.

I would ask the nurses to put the hand rails up on the bed and I had them put me almost sitting stright up. my mom always held one foot up by one ear and a nurse held the other up by the other ear and my husband stood beside me with his hand on mine. (except with Alex, she just slipped out with out all this) During a push I would grab the hand rails and do a pull up using the force of the pull in order to push at the other end. (you know how when you do a pull up you use your abs to help your arms pull you up) and when I got to the top I would push my self down with my arms (think about breath in breath out= pull up push down) I had each of my children in with a minimal pushing time (I only pushed for about 5-10 min with each)(an average of 5 pushes)(3 with Mike)(6 with Mark i think)(6-8 with Patrick)(about 1 push with Alex, 2 halves)(about 8 with Shelby<remember she was fat>) 

having the boys so close together was what really made it so much harder it was like having triplets, my body wasnt really ready for the whole thing again so soon.

 

I had no drugs, no IV, no epidural, they came totaly natural!!!!! I wish theyed let me do it again!

 

I heard a woman say something the other day that rings very true.

 

"Giveing birth naturaly every 24 hours would be easyer than being a mother 24/7"

so bottom line stay calm stay fit and laugh! have upbeat/funny/soothing music which ever helps you. and REMEMBER when its all over you have a beautiful baby to hold and love.