Hi Natasha. Introduce yourself and tell us a bit about you.
I’m mama to 2.5 yr old Ella-Rae and 4 month old Harrison. They brighten up my day every day! I also work with Women, many who are mama’s too, to help them combine all the roles that are important to them so they experience real happiness, deep fulfilment and ultimate success.
Why did you decide to have a home birth?
Before having my daughter I learned a lot about the body and the birthing experience through my work. It became evident that bringing your baby into the world at home was the most natural thing and more often than not leads to a more relaxed and easier labour and birth. I wanted to give my children the best entrance into the world possible, also without having any ‘pain’ relief. At the last minute I had to have Ella-Rae at the hospital but do believe that by preparing for a home birth, I was able to be more relaxed and have a natural birth.
How easy was it to organise a Home Birth? Who helped you with arranging it?
It was very easy to organise. I went to a homebirth workshop which gave me so much more information, even my Husband was a convert after hearing everything they shared. The midwives were also great and very supportive. First time round I had a Doula, who also gave us lots of help and support.
Did you encounter any resistance to your decision about having a home birth?
No resistance at all, just a few friends and family who were surprised it’s what we wanted to do but it was more down to lack of education than anything else.
Aside from the practical aspects of arranging a home birth, how did you personally prepare?
Hypnobirthing was one of the best things I ever did. It allowed me to be mentally prepared, which is really important and to be body prepared, as in knowing how to work with my body during labour. First time round, I worked a lot on my fears and worries from an emotional perspective. I also got as much information as I could with regards to understanding how as woman our bodies know exactly what to do.
What was your home birth experience like?
It was a wonderful experience. being at home in my own surroundings with my Husband and towards the end my Mum, made it a really special experience. Our boy has been such a calm, happy and content baby and I know that has been down to the hypnobirthing and home birth. He was born in the birth pool which was fantastic, it really helped with the surges and breathing him down and out. It’s something that I would highly recommend
How did it differ from your previous experience of giving birth?
I definitely felt more in control of the whole experience. We had specifically asked for very little monitoring and wanted to get on with it ourselves. The midwife was brilliant and really let us have the experience we wanted no matter how long it was going to take. It was only 7.5 hours from when my membranes released to holding our baby, with no gas or air. Being in hospital felt more of a rush, as in the baby has to come out now or we will need to get her out.
Finally, if someone reading this is considering a Home Birth, what advice would you give them?
Get as much information as you can. Find people who have done what you want to do and use their experience and positivity to empower you. Stay away from people’s traumatic stories. If you face resistance, be strong, stand in your power and know that you have done your research and you are happy to go ahead. Be prepared for things to not go as planned and be ok with that. Like I mentioned, we planned for a home birth first time round and whilst I was dissappointed at first, I know that it was the best thing to do and I was much more relaxed because of it.