Birth Story, part 1

So I decided I better write down some thoughts about my Home Birth with our 3rd daughter. I get so excited when I think about this birth because it was just so AWESOME! But before I write the birth story I decided to gather my thoughts about why we,my hubby and I, decided to have a home birth.

My interest in home birth started before I was pregnant. I had watched the Documentary Business of Being Born and it opened my eyes to so many things about labor and birth that I honestly never really thought about. I had two vaginal hospital births with the "help" of pitocin and an epidural. Before watching this movie I was one of those people who just went with what is the norm, without really researching or questioning stuff. When I became pregnant I convinced my husband to watch another documentary called Pregnant In America. After watching it he said to me, "I think we should try to have the baby at home." The trick in getting your husband to do something you want is to let them think it is their idea! (Someone wrote that in a "Marriage Advice" book at my wedding shower.)

So we did some research about the safety of home birth and I talked to an acquaintance who had a HBAC (home birth after cesarean)and decided to work with a midwife who could help us achieve the birth we wanted. Now before I go any further, home birth isn't for everyone and had it been my first birth, I probably would not have done it. I am blessed in that I have fairly easy pregnancies, haven't suffered from any complications like high blood pressure or gestational diabetes, and even though I had "help" with my two previous labors I knew that I could have a normal vaginal delivery. I was "the perfect candidate" because I had no prior medical history or complications.

Over the course of the pregnancy I read several books suggested to me by my doula friend who I credit for encouraging me to educate myself about birth. These books really helped me to get excited about the birth.

As I neared the end of the pregnancy it really became about two things. The first thing was furthering my faith and my relationship with God. He created women to have babies and I really needed the healing that came from doing it the way He intended it to be. The second was about the environment in which I wanted to be in and bring my baby into.

So that is how I came to my decision to have our third baby girl at home. It may seem like it was a "light" decision but my husband and I really talked about it, prayed about it, researched it, and in the end we both feel like it was one of the best decisions we have ever made.