Hey Y’all! Before I tell my daughter’s birth story, I feel like there needs to be a whole separate post about choosing home birth. So here it is:

I was so excited and nervous for a natural home birth, but we didn’t actually start out planning a natural or home birth. I always assumed I would I go to the hospital because that is what my mom did and most of my friends. However, once I got pregnant I was nervous about the thought of an epidural, since I have had so many negative reactions to medications, mostly severe hives. I couldn’t shake the thought of being in labor and having hives from head to toe and being miserable. So we decided to go a natural route and avoid most medications. I then started talking to a friend who did two natural hospital births, and more recently a natural home birth. She started sharing the whole natural birthing world with me and I was immediately hooked and drawn into it!! I was still planning a hospital tbirth at this point, until one day at a prenatal appointment: the first appointment where I heard my baby’s heartbeat, actually. It was magical! Caught up in the beautiful moment of hearing the heart beat, I turned to look at the midwife and said: “don’t you love babies?”

To which she responded: “No, I don’t. I prefer to work with the women.”

I was so upset. Me and this baby were kind of a two for one package right now, and if she really only wanted to care for the “me” part, I didn’t want her delivering or touching my baby. I left the hospital so upset! I gave the hospital one more try and saw a nice Christian doctor that I liked, however, when I asked if I could see him, he explained only high-risk patients get to see the same doctor/provider every time. All the healthy patients were floated among the midwives. I may not even get to meet the person who delivers my baby. Or it may be that midwife who doesn’t even like babies. That was it for me. I had given the healthcare system a fair chance, but I was done. My husband and I prayed and felt good about switching to a home birth; so we found a home birth midwife through a friend at church and changed plans to a natural home birth.

I couldn’t have been happier with our decision. The home birth community is so strong and supportive. There is so much love and support for mom, dad, and baby!! We all encourage each other that this is a natural, God-designed miracle. I learned so much about pregnancy, baby development, my body, and birth! I feel like I came out on the other side so educated and amazed at what my body can do by God’s design. The fears of birth were faced and overcame in the home birth community and I was excited to do the same!

If you are reading this you are part of our community too, or maybe interested in trying home birth or learning more. Good for you mama! You can do this! Your body was made to do this. Find the team who can help you through this, and know it will all be worth it. Feeling all the pieces unmasked: pain, joy, peace, confidence, and trust is incredible and worth it, I promise! You get to see how God wanted it to be. We have to go through increasing levels of pains and contractions until new life comes. This is how the book of revelation is lined out. Things get worse before they get better, but then there is a new life and all the old is not even remembered. God designed things to mirror Him. Even child birth, so be excited to know Him better!

Praying for a blessed delivery to all the mamas!!