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Homebirth was first intoduced to me by a
friend who had attended her cousins waterbirth while I
was in college. The conversation I had with the mother
planted the seeds for homebirth being an option in my
life. It wasn’t until I was pregnant for my first child
that I began my research into natural childbirth and the
many options.
During the early months of my first pregnancy I read many books on midwifery and homebirth. It didn’t take me long to discover that I was a perfect candidate for a homebirth. I wanted my child to be born into a relaxed environment where he or she could be allowed to nurse immediately and bond without being taken away for the newborn exam. As I did more research I learned all of the wonderful advantages to midwives and homebirth. It was important to me to have a drug free birth with very little interference into the birthing process. I wanted to be able to move and react the way my body needed to during labor and delivery. I also wanted the umbilical cord to remain attached to my baby so he or she could get all of that oxygen as well as the first breaths. All of these things and many more could be provided by midwives at a homebirth. I couldn’t be more pleased with the way each of my births happened. Rebecca ‘caught’ our son after thirteen hours of labor, and Paige welcomed our daughter in a birthing tub. They will both always have a special place in our lives and in our family. If we ever decide to add to our family we hope they will be by our side. |
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The decision
to have a home birth was an easy one for me. I was the mother of five before Dec. 1, 2003. The first three births occurred in New York City hospitals. My forth child was born in a birthing center in the Bronx. This
experience was wonderful. I was surrounded by family, my husband delivered our son, and most of my labor occurred at home. When I found out that I was expecting another bundle of joy, we were living in Cape Cod for almost two
years. I thought I would really like a home birthing but
we were renting our home and I didn’t know of any
midwives in the area. So I had our third son in a hospital. Although the family was present, the experience of birth wasn’t the same.
The hospital had too many invasive procedures in my opinion. I felt like I regressed in the birthing experience by having my baby in a hospital after experiencing birth in a birthing center. The best blessing of this birthing was a healthy 5pound- 6ounce baby boy. My third son had just turned two when I found out that I was expecting again. Again! I knew I deserved the birthing experience I desired. Life is too short. Although we were renting another house , I was positive that I wanted to experience a home birth. Coincidentally, I had picked up a brochure for Birth Care Midwifery one year earlier. I thought I just may need it for a friend. Ha! Ha! Who Knew? Fortunately, I was able to locate the brochure and contact this wonderful group of midwives. I enjoyed my prenatal checkups.. We chatted about various things including my health . They were very thorough during my checkups. Paige, Rebecca, and Ruby tended to any complaints or problems I had. They were empathetic and considered the whole person not only the prenatal patient. They were not just healthcare providers but they became friends. Finally, when B- day came I was excited and relieved. Paige and Rebecca kept an open communication line for easy contact. Although my contractions weren’t very close together, they intuitively decided to come to the house based on the sound of my voice. They were right. I delivered within one hour of their arrival. The experience was incredible! Initially, I thought I would have my room newly painted, music playing , new pictures on the walls, and incense burning. However I never got around to decorating the room. I listened to my music and burned frankincense during my early labor. When it came time to push all I wanted was my husband and complete silence. This allowed me to focus. Paige and Ruby fell right in with the mood I set. My other children weren’t called in until the baby made her way down. Our second oldest son cut the umbilical cord as the rest of us laid our eyes on the newest blessing that entered our lives, a beautiful 7 pound baby girl. We named her Shiafreezhah Elegance. She evened out the gender struggle in our house. We now have three boys and three girls. My prenatal care was great. The actual birthing was wonderful. The postpartum care is extraordinary! I was shocked that they did laundry and cleaned up after the birth. I knew there would be some cleaning but I felt like they went beyond the call of duty. They told me to call them for any reason The final appointment was like saying goodbye to good friends. This entire experience was one of the most memorable times of my life. |
