"Home Birth"

I had my daughter on Christmas day at home. I am so pleased that I made the decision to have a home birth. Originally I was reluctant to consider a home birth but my partner encouraged me to discuss my options with a midwife. I had had my first daughter in hospital, the experience was very traumatic as a result I laboured for a long time, had an epidural, was cut and at points my daughter was in distress. The whole experience made me terrified for this labour. The main reason I was unsure about home birth was if I could do it without the epidural and what if there was a problem! I found that I handled the labour so much better as I was at home in my own environment. The fact that my partner was with me the entire time made me feel safe and generally I felt in more control. We opted to hire a birthing pool, this was amazing and really helped with pain relief. I also used gas and air which also made the pain bearable. My labour was shorter not only because it was my second child but also because I was more relaxed. I found it great that after my daughter was born I could use my own bathroom, get into my own bed, my daughter was in her own basket, eat my own food. My partner was there the entire time. These things seem small but made the experience so much more enjoyable! When I told friends that I was considering a home birth many said it was a 'risky' thing to do, what if there was complications and so on. I honestly feel I was so well looked after and monitored my care surpassed what I would have received in hospital. I had 2 midwives with me the entire time, they were extremely confident and made me instantly feel relaxed and secure. I had meet both ladies several times on appointments so this meant I knew, liked and more importantly trusted them. It also meant they knew me and my fears. Myself and the baby were monitored constantly, I never felt pressured to do anything I didn't want to do and knew at any point if I wanted to I could go in to hospital. We were in such good hands, I can not give enough praise to the midwives that I have met through my pregnancy. They made this experience wonderful! Because I managed my labour much better this time it meant that I recovered quicker and generally have felt better within myself. I would recommend anyone considering a home birth to speak to a midwife about their options. I am so proud of myself and so pleased about the experience that I have had. I'm so pleased I decided to have my daughter at home, if I was to have another baby I would defiantly want to have another home birth.