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What made you decide on having a home birth and was your husband on board with it?

I done a weekly dance class with the lovely Nicole from Mind, Bump & Birth Hypnobirthing. She is also a midwife so just has an abundance of knowledge. 

We would talk weekly about pregnancy, birth and how I was scared. She coached me away from my fears, without her I wouldn't know about home birth, how safe it is and how wonderful. I used to be someone who feared birth. I done her hypnobirthing course and I walked away with so much knowledge and self-belief that I could home birth. I listened to Australian birth stories on my drive to work almost every day. I didn't realise all the different experiences women have with birth, there's no mold and no 1 size fits all experience. These 2 resources really opened my eyes to that.

When I first told my husband I was considering a home birth he was not on board. We did the hypnobirthing course together along  with some research and then we decided to trust the process. He was still a little worried but after our first he would advocate to people as much as I would. My mum and other family members were worried for me, they didn't like the idea of birthing at home. Everyone has heard a horror story from someone about birth and that is scary and creates fear of something that is natural. I'm lucky in a way that I was on the other side of the country, I was confident in my decision, and no one was changing my mind. My husband and close friends around me in Darwin were all amazing support. 

Darwin in general was an awesome place for home birthing. Relaxed friendly people and a community of home birth mums supporting one another.

Tell us about your home birth experiences?

I'm very thankful that I've been able to have two beautiful home water births. 

My pregnancies were both low risk, and both births have been uncomplicated. For both, I have hired a birth pool and a tens machine.

My first child was born in Darwin, where my husband and I did a hypnobirthing course during the pregnancy. This prepared and educated us on birth, my options, and trusting my body.

With my first, I laboured at home with my husband for support. Labour was about 10 hours. Swaying to music, pacing, using the tens machine, and a few hot showers filled the early hours of the morning. My midwives arrived at about 6 am. I was pushing involuntarily, but not much was happening. I got in the pool about 7am, and that was a welcome relief, I felt warm, secure, and relaxed. Contractions came back harder. After about an hour into pushing and resting in-between, I waddled to the toilet, let out this deep scream, and my baby was ready.

I waddled back to the pool and started bearing down and pushing. My girls head was out and still in her waters. A big push and the rest of her was out, pop went her water sack, and we brought her to the surface. At this moment, I had more love than I knew was possible. Delayed cord clamping, a handful of stitches, breastfeeding, and a lot of skin to skin cuddles came with the sunrise.

8:40 am, 3.68kg, My little girl was born so perfect, and I was in awe.

Skip forward just over 2 years, and I'm having my second baby. Of course going back for a home water birth again, this time in Adelaide.

Labour this time was about 5 and a half hours. It started and ramped up faster than I expected. Contractions were 3 minutes apart but not for consistent lengths of time. I called the midwife thinking it was on! She arrived, a lovely lady but I didn't know her. We chatted, and everything slowed down, I felt silly for calling so early. I knew I needed to re-foccus my energy, I put my headphones on, swayed to my birth playlist, and tried to forget about everything but my baby.

I needed a surge of oxytocin to get labour happening, I sat down and wrote my baby a letter. This had been on my to-do list for weeks. I poured out my feelings. As I finished the page, I had to stand up and walk through a big contraction. A few moments later, I'm leaning on the table, grunting and pushing. It was time to get in the pool. About 20 minutes later, I birthed my little boy.

This was faster, intense, but I could do it. I talked to my little boy like he was just us there, I brought him to the surface, and my heart grew again.

4:37 am, 3.86kg, my little perfect boy was here.

Every birth is different, and I'm so thankful and lucky to have had 2 amazing births. Giving birth was hard, raw, painful, emotional, and empowering. It was amazing how my body knew exactly what to do, along with my baby. Trust, security, love everything my birth at home offered me.

Thank you to the people who educate and support home birth. It wouldn't be possible without a little help from a whole community of people. Birth educators, midwives, and communities who share birth resources.

Thank you to Birthmother for the opportunity to share my story and journey with birth. I hope I can inspire even a few people to think about homebirth and share a positive birth story.