Vol 1. Deciding To Home Birth

I never knew about water or home births, how I understood them, and how to trust my body after breaking my back in 2021 gave me confidence to birth how I desired! + 39-week update

This month, I decided to start writing the stories I have been saving to share, as motherhood is deeply personal to my heart.

These will be part of my paid subscription (Inner Circle) to read the full articles. Still, I am also having a sale for another week on my subscriptions for 25% off for those who are keen to learn more about how I have transformed from maiden to mother and all the ways motherhood helped me become even more passionate about CARING MORE to being of service to others and help them CARE MORE about themselves (especially mothers/parents) and teaching Phoenix about yoga and loving the planet.

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For those who don’t know, we have decided to do a home birth for this second baby. Never in my wildest dreams, if you had asked me 10 years ago, would I think I would want to give birth at home as the concept was never really something I’d seen or come across. Even though my niece was born at home, I never paid much attention to that part of her story. Probably because I didn’t want to have kids!!!!

Not wanting to have kids is another story I am writing for Kat River as a Guest Writer, so I will share that article when she publishes it.

You can change even when your mother’s favourite saying is “people don’t change.” 

I have changed a lot throughout many seasons, and water birthing feels most natural for me, and I am excited to get a second opportunity to deliver in the water this time.

We are so grateful for the beautiful birth we had at the Family Birth Centre with the KEHP midwives last year, which has contributed to having the confidence to feel comfortable with having a water birth at home. 

I have never written or shared Phoenix’s birth story, which I hope to do this October before our second baby’s birth. I also have a video of the birth that I might share. I was mostly in the birthing pool for my active labour, but in the end, they asked me to step out, and he came quickly once I got out. 

We almost had to have an induction, which broke my heart. Still, I will share those details in his story in another article, so watch out for that one, as it’s an awesome story because Tony and I both had to advocate for the birth we wanted. The situation we were in was inaccurately diagnosed by our midwife, which can apparently happen. 

Ultimately, we were all just happy that I didn’t give birth in the hospital and that we got to have a calm and relaxing beautiful water pool birthing experience in the centre, which we had both envisioned. We know it’s rare to get the birth you visualise, and for that, I’m very grateful for being able to have a beautiful birth experience. 

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BACKGROUND ON WHY WE DIDN’T BIRTH AT HOME FOR OUR FIRST

With that experience under our belt and getting pregnant only 7 months into Phoenix’s journey. I was very excited to state that I wanted a home birth. I wanted one in the first birth, but because I had broken my back in 2021, it caused a lot of mental trauma on Tony coming home from work, finding me lying on the ground, unable to move, and having to wait for an ambulance for 45 minutes. I didn’t want to make him uncomfortable with our first birth experience. 

Not living close to either of our parents makes things heavier when life throws you curve balls as you don’t feel like you have a safety blanket of parents to fall on for extra help.  We quickly learnt that our Yoga Community and Friends, aka Family in Perth, would be there for us, and it was such a beautiful feeling and honour to have them come and drop off soup or come to say hi and chat with me during my recovery. 

The Care More Community is a living and breathing community in Perth that I love so dearly and have missed seeing regularly since birthing Phoenix, but I know they are still around and reading these articles. Or they like my posts on socials or coming to events when I randomly host them. 

The birth centre was the best of both worlds: close to the hospital but in an environment where midwives and I could give birth in the water, which I was looking forward to being the Cancer Water Sign that I am. I know that water calms my body. It always has been since I was a little girl and throughout my life. 

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THE DECISION TO BIRTH AT HOME

I never thought in a million years I would be a person to want to give birth at home. But learning I can design the lifestyle I want has opened so many doors for me to discover how other people live their lives and be curious about what other ways are available for me to live.

I had started following this amazing mother, artist, and writer, Kat River, after photography an event weekend she was at with her husband, Tully. She had this amazing water birth experience, and since then, I have started seeing and witnessing more mothers on social media sharing birthing at home. I learned that it’s more common and has been practised worldwide more than we have been told through Western culture and the movies we watch.