Our Community Blog

In the quiet of Sunday morning, we welcomed our beautiful fourth baby, Arthur. This was my fourth natural birth and my second time birthing at home - an experience made even more special by the warmth of the birth pool we chose to hire this time. I’m so grateful we did as it transformed my labour into something truly incredible.

Labour began on Saturday evening but as the hours passed, my contractions slowed and didn’t progress. I decided to rest and went to bed. Around 2:45 am I woke to strong, rhythmic contractions that told me it was time. Thankfully my husband had already prepared our bedroom the night before, anticipating labour starting in the night.

For a while, I laboured alone - walking, sitting on my birth ball, breathing deeply through each surge. At 4 am, I woke my husband. He called our midwife and began filling the birth pool. I laboured for a few hours, alternating between sitting on the edge of the bed and lying down to gather my strength between contractions.

Our midwife arrived at 7am. Soon after, I felt a shift. My body told me it was time to get into the birth pool. The warmth of the water felt incredible and soothed the intensity of my surges. A feeling of exhaustion crept in and for a moment I wondered how much longer I could go on. I knew I was in transition.

And then, I felt our sweet baby. His head, still encased in its amniotic sac, gently descending. In one long powerful contraction, his head was born. There was a brief pause and a minute of quiet before the next surge and with it, our baby’s body slipped earthside.

At 8:49 am, I reached down and lifted my son to my chest. His eyes opened, calm and peaceful. He didn’t cry, he just gazed up at me. He was so peaceful.

I’m so grateful for such a beautiful birth at home. Bringing our fourth baby into the world was hard work, but every moment was worth it. It was a moment I will cherish forever.