Home Birth with James Andrew

I usually get two types of responses when people ask which hospital I will be delivering my baby at, and I reply I'm having a home birth. Either they respond with a "wow, I could never do that" or they say "that's amazing, tell me about it. "


Let me just say that birthing is such a personal decision, between the mother and father. Each family is different, unique and has special needs and personal preferences. Really, every pregnancy is unique also.

My reasons for home birth came from personal negative experiences from having 2 hospital births. (I don't want to go into the list - ask me if you want and I'll be glad to tell you in a email)

So, what about the negatives of a home birth?

• Pain : ) I won't candy coat it...delivering a baby naturally is very painful. But, very empowering also.


• Not having meals delivered regularly


• Having to prepare the house before time


• Inconvenience of timing when to have grandparents come and get the kids

What are the positives for my home birth?

• Empowering
• Bonding with my husband
• Freedom to labor and deliver how I felt comfortable
• Able to eat whenever I felt like it
• Feelings of security and support from mid-wife who was there the whole time
• Coaching during labor process
• Able to have a hot soak in the bath tub afterward
• Comfortable in my own bed for recovery
• Awesome postnatal care, having them come to my house to do check ups
• Faster recovery time

This birth was terribly difficult with back labor, but really the most painful part was only 1 1/2hrs long. I thought I might loose my mind, but yet I knew that it would be over soon.

Mark was such a big help in working through the contractions, we finally figured out how to work through them together - bummer it took 4 babies to figure it out. I had a wonderful mid-wife who also was at the birth for Jesse, so it was nice to have a familar face. Ironically, with my first baby I thought people must be out of their mind not to have pain medication available for birthing, and I certainly didn't think I would be a person to be able to birth naturally. Wow, my point of view has drastically changed, and my pain tolerance I think has increased. Still I'm thankful for the hospital births and the point of view they brought, and I am thankful for the pain relief they provided. However, I am at a different place in my life now, and home births fit our family needs and preferences much better.

I was asked by my sister if I could re-due my birth experience with my first born and do a natural home birth, would I? I had difficulty answering this. There were reasons on both sides that are supportive. I'd like to think I could/would do a home birth with my first if I could go back in time...but I really don't know.