have a homebirth

It made me

proud

How I did it: when i found out i was pregnant, i didn't really know where to start. my husband and i didn't have health insurance, and i didn't even know of any midwives in the area. we waited three months to finally interview a midwife. i called a midwife in my area named alisa voss and asked her if she would be available to be my midwife. we interviewed her and from then on, she was with us during the amazing journey of having our first child. Read how I did it… 23 months ago

It made me

so happy

How I did it: i researched homebirth and found a bunch of infomation i told my MW i wanted one and she gave me a list of things i would need to have a HB i got hold of a birth pool and a fitball and waited for labour day Read how I did it… 2 years ago

It made me

ecstatic

How I did it: Having our youngest child at home was one of the best things I've ever done in my life. We had our first two in hospitals, but naturally - meaning no meds and as little intervention as we could get by with (according to them). I wouldn't call my first two experiences nightmares, but there were definitely things I didn't like... things that even really upset me. When you go into a hospital, they treat you like they know you and how to treat you better than you do, and they do everything their own way. You basically don't have a choice. I had a strict, two page, typed birth plan for my hospitals, signed by the doc, but still had to compromise on a couple of things with my first birth. They act like childbirth is some disease or illness that has to be treated... when really, it's a very natural and beautiful part of life. People have been totally brainwashed when it comes to childbirth. We've been lead to believe that the doc knows best, no matter what you feel. I'm totally thankful for docs, and I use them, but I don't see the sense in all this nonsense for childbirth... none of it's even natural. You should be able to do what you feel like - listen to your body - do your own thing. It's amazing that way!!
So at the beginning of my third pregnancy, I finally talked my very nervous and sceptical husband into a consult with a midwife, with whom I was already acquainted. She spent a couple of hours with us, explaining everything in detail, answering all our questions, mostly my husband's, and it was really great. He went for it.... although it took several months for him to really become comfortable with the idea.
One of the greatest things about having a midwife is that she actually becomes your friend. All our visits were at least an hour long, sometimes longer, and she really got to know us and our kids. A pregnancy is a whole family thing, and that's how it should be treated.
When I had docs, with the first two pregnancies, I'd have about 5 - 10 minutes for each visit, not even getting to know the doc. It's strictly a professionaly, kind of cold, experience... even though I really liked my docs, and they're great people. It's just the routine of things in the medical profession.
When I went into labor this time, there was no getting ready to go to the hospital, wondering when we should go, just knowing we'd have to go... and then to have to deal with everything once you get there - they make you do all sorts of stuff, when you just want to be left alone to labor. Then they WON'T let you do certain things, like walking or getting into a comfortable position that you want, or drinking orange juice to help keep your strength.... everything. I won't even go into all that detail.
At home, I was SOOOOOOOOO relaxed. I was able to really feel what my body was doing and get into positions that really helped me. It was such an amazing and intimate experience, with just my hubby and me.... and then my mom (coach) and midwife (friend) and eventually, her assistant, who we already knew too. It was so peaceful and calm. I had hard, intense labor, but I loved being at home, able to do what I felt and how I wanted.
When my baby was born, I was the one to grab him and hold him on me.... I held him for an hour. Then my hubby had him while I showered. When it was time for the midwives to do their stuff, like weighing and measuring, we were all on the bed together, so I was never more than an arm's length away from my baby. The whole experience was more incredible than words can describe.
Another thing, 5 days before I had my baby, I started leaking... a lot... like I thought my water broke. When labor didn't start, my midwife came over and checked the fluid and made sure I was feeling ok. She explained that sometimes a water pocket forms between the sacks and when it breaks, it's not actually the bag, just the pocket, and everything is just fine. However, she still came to check on me and the baby everyday, just to be sure. I can't tell you HOW HAPPY I am that I wasn't going to a doc, because they would have induced me right then, just because of a leak that was perfectly fine.
When it comes to childbirth, practically everything in the medical field just puts more strain on you and the baby, although, most women don't even have a clue. I do believe docs and hospitals are there for a good reason, and some situations (very few) actually do need them. It's just really sad to me that something so natural has become so UNnatural, and accepted that way.
I could go on and on... but I'll end it by recommending a wonderful video on natural childbirth. If you haven't seen it, you definitely should. It's called "The Business of Being Born." I think EVERYONE should watch this video, even if natural childbirth isn't your choice. It's full of wonderful experiences, statistics, and information. If nothing else, it can help you make a better and more educated decision on what you want. Read how I did it… 3 years ago

It made me

Feel powerful!

How I did it: My son Declan Kevin Doherty was born at home January 24th 2008 at 3:26pm. He weighed 10lbs 7 ozs and he was 21.5 inches long. In attendance were my husband Brendan, my mother Amy, midwife Nancy Wainer, midwife Heather, and apprentice midwives Jessica, Seraphina and Tammy.
The labour was 12 hours long, 3 of which were pushing. I slept in between all my pushes. I used Hypnobirthing, and it was wonderful. Declans shoulder got stuck and my knowledgeable midwives employed the Gaskin Maneuver, which is when they flip you quickly onto hands and knees, and it dislodges the stuck shoulder.
We did have an unplanned transfer to the hospital. Because of meconium aspiration, he needed to be hospitalized for 2 weeks. I also needed to be hospitalized, for 4 days. The OB at the hospital pulled my placenta out, I hemorrhaged and lost 1000ml of blood. She also painfully violated me afterward to "make sure all the placental tissue was out". I believe she was punishing me for choosing homebirth. Because I had a big baby and because I am a big woman, if i'd chosen to give birth at the hospital I would have been forced into a cesarean.
I plan to have all my babies at home. The complicated circumstances of Declans birth wont deter me. I dont think the complications were related to the fact he was born at home. It could be argued that if I were at the hospital, I would have probably had a cesarean and therefore the complications would have been avoided, but I believe cesareans are only necessary when the life of the baby or mother are at risk, not as a preventative measure. Meconium aspiration is a relatively common occurrence, and in Declans case it was not life threatening. Read how I did it… 3 years ago

It made me

very proud

How I did it: I gave birth to my little son, Jack, in our loungeroom in a pool. My
husband, my mum and midwife were there.  It was the most amazing,
incredible experience. 6 hour labor, plus 1 hour for the placenta. Very
smooth labor, very peaceful. So glad I did it this way.

Yes it was tough, and painful. For a while there I was just being
rocked from contraction to contraction, feeling like I was drowning in
the pain. But it really wasn't that traumatic. The first thing I said
afterwards(after a while of exclaiming over my baby of course!), was
"That really wasn't that bad!"

Now I feel like I don't ever have to be scared of labor again. I feel so proud of myself!

There are so many things no one tells you about, but. Weird sensations,
for example, when Jack's head was out, but his body was still inside,
he started twisting his head and body. It felt soooo weird. Apparently
I said, "Far out! There's a baby coming out of my butt!" Read how I did it… 3 years ago