I loved giving birth at home, it was a really powerful experience altogether. I felt so relaxed and calm. Even when my waters broke and it was clear my baby had done a poo, the waters were light brown. But as it was light and I was nearly fully dilated with baby’s heart beat stable and normal, we stayed where we were and I delivered her in the birth pool. No problems at all. Being at home just made me feel so ok with everything because I was in my familiar surroundings with Wimbledon on the telly and my family dog walking around, oils burning and a bit of music in the background.
It was such an amazing experience but at the same time so ordinary. Everything felt so normal except that I was giving birth. But then giving birth is normal, that’s one of the great things women can do...we birth babies and then time carries on. Just as the waves keep rolling on the ocean.
After she was born, we sat in the living room eating food. I had a bath - not my baby, I wanted that vernix to stay on her. She stayed skin to skin with me and her dad for the rest of the evening and my family having little holds of her. She slept snuggled up in bed with us.
The next day we spent the whole day in the garden. she slept and we slept. My family were there and my dog would come and take a curious sniff of the bundle every now and again. I felt so gratful that I could be in my home with all the people I loved around me.