Home Birth

  I thought about doing this article a few times now but have always chosen a different route. Today, I looked down at my youngest, now almost a year old. I feel the time has come before the memory fades further and the details begin to blur to obscurity. In this article I will share my incredible experience of a home birth and the lessons I learned along the way.

To begin I am a mother to three children, two were unmedicated hospital births, and the third was delivered at home. With my first, I was pregnant at 19 with a baby boy. I attended every prenatal appointment and anticipated each ultrasound. Everything was absolutely  picture perfect. I couldn’t have asked for a more model pregnancy.

Each month came and went and the doctor never had any concern. My due date finally arrived and then passed. At this moment my doctor started to raise concerns. I expressed my desire to go into labor naturally and refused any interference. He stated he would allow 42 weeks but the very next day after, I must be induced. The risks were simply too high for the placenta to reach capacity and no longer sustain life. In fear for my child’s life, I agreed to his terms.  The set date came with zero signs of labor.

I arrived at the hospital at 6:00 AM the next morning and began the induction process with Pitocin. Labor was intense and progressed slowly. At 6PM I was finally granted a meal and some rest. Removing the iv triggered vomiting which dominoed to my water breaking. I was then bedridden. The next morning at 6:00 AM I was hooked up to an iv again. Labor was over 36 hours in total.

My oldest daughter’s pregnancy  was a similar experience. With no complications to reports, I was told 42 weeks was the absolute limit. I could then choose to be induced or schedule a c-section.  I saw neither as preferred options. This time my water  was broken by hand and Pitocin was administered. My contractions were excruciating.  Each one rocked me to the core with no break in between. I doubted my ability to manage the pain but talked myself up by thinking it was past the point  for an epidural to be administered anyways. I delivered her in an empty hospital room with no help until she was lying on the bed and I managed to push the nurse call button. It was after hours so my doctor was not there and nursing staff was limited.  I was emotionally and physically exhausted, so was my daughter. I was adamant I wouldn’t be doing that again. During one moment I wasn’t sure I was going to pull through.

Fast forward a few years and I had another little bun in the oven. I was terrified to go through labor again but an epidural was not an option I would entertain. I expressed my concerns to my husband and the topic of having the baby at home was tossed around. He was surprisingly very supportive. I started doing research and giving the idea some substantial consideration. My curiosity opened an entire new world with a whole community of like minded people. I read testimony after testimony of mothers having experiences similar to my own and others who had worse hospital experience than I did. Each one spoke about how amazing a home birth was and how it was substantially better  than a hospital birth. 

My confidence quickly grew as it seemed I was a good candidate for home birthing. My previous pregnancies had not even a hiccup other than surpassing my due date. Despite my wavering mind I set up a
prenatal appointment and had my first ultrasound scheduled. Everything appeared  to be as it should be. After my third appointment I was reviewing the doctor’s notes and I saw the red letters of HIGH RISK. My heart sank. I immediately typed a letter to my doctor requesting why, since there was no mention of this during the visit. A reply quickly came explaining over 90% of women who come into the office are high risk. It was probably due to my age of 30. She further explained that I would have had to, never in my life, smoked, drink alcohol or have any family history of illness to not be labeled as high risk.

The message irritated me. Maybe it was the hormones, maybe it was intuition, but I found it to be ridiculous to impose such a broad standard for the intended label. I can only assume why their practice would operate under such guidelines. The reasons would not be for the best interest of the unborn child and mother. Fueled by aggravation and determination, I began my search for a midwife and how to prepare for a home birth.

I soon realized how much freedom I can have over my own labor. I had no standard to follow. My midwife assured me natural instincts would take over and my body would do what God designed it to do. There are also tons of different laboring techniques and natural pain management options that the hospitals are not taught or do not practice. Midwives are well trained, and from my understanding, usually work in pairs. They have several natural remedies on hand to take care of several different issues from nausea in early pregnancy to excessive bleeding during delivery. God has provided us with a plethora of natural remedies to not only kick start labor but to help speed up recovery after birth. These practices have long since been pushed from modern medicine and almost laughed at in today’s society.

My midwife visited my house for prenatal appointments. There was no need to drag myself to the doctor’s office and wait for an hour. My other children even participated during the visits by holding the doppler to hear the baby’s heartbeat and measuring my belly bump size. My 5 year old really felt like she was a big help during the process. My midwife and I formed a comfortable and trusting relationship. I was confident if she saw anything concerning she would advise me to go back to the hospital.

I made it known that I tend to have prolonged pregnancies. I was told not to worry, every woman is slightly different. She recommended I start taking gentle birth tincture along with herbal teas daily. Supposedly the local Amish had used these remedies for years and swear by it. My midwife explained she had a lot of good results with couch techniques. I obliged and adhered to my regimine. My due date came and went without any signs of the baby coming. Then one particular morning I came into contact with myrrh by accident which is known to cause uterus contractions. It can also cause miscarriages so I was trying to avoid it. Despite my care, I came into contact with a small amount and soon after my contractions began.



I didn’t notice at first. In fact, I had a lovely yet busy day. I made the kids breakfast and prepared meat for the smoker for dinner. I played games for a little while and then made lunch. After lunch I put the meat on the smoker so it would be ready in time for dinner. I rested afterwards feeling the contractions but they were sporadic. I estimated she would arrive the next day, nothing to get excited about yet.

I served dinner, cleaned the kitchen and made sure the children were bathed. I put them to bed and sit down to relax a little. By midnight, I knew I should call my midwife. By 4:30AM I was holding my beautiful baby girl in the coziness of my own bed with all I could desire at arms reach. My four year old fell asleep the baby and woke up a big sister. My son opened his eyes to a tiny human looking into his eyes.

What an incredible life changing experience. It was so empowering and invigorating to take complete control of my labor. I chose how to labor, where to labor, and what I wanted for comfort items. Every wish was granted and respected as my midwife wanted to leave me feeling confident and secure. I have never felt so liberated and womanly.

I choose each and every aspect of my birthing journey. I prepared the necessities and decorated my birthing site. I was able to create a pleasing and peaceful environment tailored to me and only me. To some, the three day hospital stay after haveing a baby can be just as exhausting as labor. The unfamiliar environment and constant disturbances from the nurses can be draining. I thought it was wonderful to not have to deal with all of that. If I was to have another, I would give birth at home without a doubt.

My last labor was tolerable but still painful I won’t lie. I do believe the gentle birth tincture and herbal teas  helped with the minimal pain and short labor. I do not recommend myrrh although, I do believe it kick started my labor. I did not have any signs of labor prior to the contact with myrrh. Baby nor I showed any adverse signs to exposure but I don’t have enough knowledge to promote that. It could be very dangerous.

I wrote this article for the reader out there that is still on the fence. Home birthing is not for everyone and some women undoubtedly should pursue a hospital birth. But if all seems to be functioning as it should and you want more freedom to choose during one of the most vulnerable times of your life, it might be the perfect choice for you. I loved the peace and comfort of being in my own home during labor and delivery. I loved being able to hop in my own shower where everything was familiar and ready. I delivered her on the same bed I still sleep on every night. How wild! I am bursting with pride because I had enough courage to step away from the mainstream. I trusted my instincts and placed my faith in God and His creation. Women’s bodies are made to go into labor on their own time. Not when a doctor says it is time. A placenta does function less efficiently after the projected due date but this is the body’s natural process. The chemicals released during this process play a key role in the onset of labor. It helps tell that body it is time to start labor. Doctors often misquote the research In order to encourage scheduled deliveries. How convenient it must be to pencil in each birth like clock work. I do not believe that is the way women are meant to have children. Some hospitals force mothers to lie on their backs to labor, never offering any other position. While convenient for the doctor it is reported to be the most painful position to labor in. A fact often not shared or overlooked due to common practices. When did convenience trump mother’s comfort and happiness?

Do not ever feel obligated to follow the so-called  western medicine that is constantly pushed on us. If your heart is telling you not to, listen to it. God did not error when He made the womb to carry the precious gift of a tiny baby. He did not make it to require such routine intervention. Trust in yourself and rely on your faith in God. He just might be sending you on one of the most rewarding experiences you could ever have. Never doubt that each of us are strong enough and brave enough to choose how we give birth. Don’t be afraid to choose differently.

If any reader would like to know my list of essentials for a home birth drop a comment below. I can share what I used and what was a waste of time and money. I was going to add it here and several links to natural remedies but this article has become rather long. I can also share what worked for me to get through labor and postpartum.

Thank you for reading and God bless.