Home Birth Aotearoa

Home Birth Aotearoa

Georgia's Birth Story: Born in the bath - 18/10/2002

I want to start my birth story at start my pregnancy. Because I feel it important that I explain some fears and feelings that I had leading up to this home birth.

When I found out I was pregnant it scared me so much because I was facing a number of challenges firstly the break up of my marriage and then there was the fear of having another child after I vowed and declared that I would never have anymore. But it was for good reason that I felt this way. My second child was born by c-section and that had badly shattered my idea of what childbirth was suppose to be. It did huge amount of damage to my confidence to give birth.

Once I had decided that I was going to be having this baby I though arr well I will go and get my previous midwife to be my Lead Maternity Carer (LMC). But at my second appointment she told me that getting closer to the birth date that I she could book me in for an elective c-section. I went home shattered of the idea that I might have to give in to that one and be a failure again. But deep down something told me that NO! I didn’t want it to be that way. I immediately started to look for another midwife.

I went to the woman’s expo and I explain to a midwife that I had a very disappointing last birth experience. She told me about midwife that did home births. With out even meeting this midwife the idea of a home birth sounded like it was for me. She gave me her phone number and I immediately contacted her. Here's the funny bit. Before I had met Hannah I had for some reason imagined her as being this funny little old grey haired lady that had been a midwife for many many years. I met Hannah and oops I was a little wrong about that picture.

Anyway over the next few months proved to be very testing. I didn’t know if I could go though with having this baby I was just so scared that I may need to have another c-section. I don’t think I even really showed that fear to Hannah as much as I was feeling it deep down. It was a huge thing for me to deal with but I got past it and decided that if I was to have this home birth I was to put that bad birth experience behind me and to looking forward with a positive out look on the next birth. I started to picture my baby being born at home and that made me forget about the past along with the awesome encouragement I had from Hannah all the way as well.

Preparing my home for this proved to be another really great thing for me to. The vision in my mind became stronger and stronger of this beautiful home birth. And finally nearly a week after my due date I went into labour. I felt so excited because I knew if I achieved this that it would heal me. Around 1.30 am I woke up to lot s of weak contractions and the runs. I thought oh my god this has to be it and rung heaps of people, Poor old Jesse (10 year old son) got woken by my groaning and moaning. But because I had planned for him to be a part of the baby’s birth he got out of bed to help me get things ready. I rung Hannah to say it had started but at that stage I didn’t get her to come to the house because I felt it was too early. But contractions started to get a little stronger and at about 4am I rung my sister and she come over from Te Awamutu with my niece Casey. 20 minutes after they arrived they got stronger and I felt the need to ring Hannah. She arrived not long after that and also the student midwife Katrina. Wow it was all on now, there was no going back. I went upstairs and hoped in the bath and that was an awesome feeling but felt the need to get out. I felt very restless a lot of the time never staying in one position for long I just had to keep moving. Getting very vocal so Hannah tells me. She then got Jo to my house as well. She was great. I had only met her once but felt really comfortable around her. I started to want to push and Hannah let me but my body was not ready for it. I wasn’t dilated properly. That was the most frustrating part of the birth. I had to get on all four and lower the top half of my body and resist pushing for 30 minutes at least. That was so hard to do. Finally I was allowed to push and push I did. I put everything into it. I hopped back into the bath and with 3 midwives and my son crammed in my little pokey bathroom I finally gave birth to my little baby girl at 11.30 am.

Wow!!! What an awesome powerful experience that was. As I write this birth story 4 months after her birth it still brings tears of joy flooding to my eyes.

I just think back now if I had given had given into my fears of having a normal birth after a c-section and listened to a lot of other well meaning people say it’s dangerous to have a home birth. I would have never experienced the beautiful birth I did. I'm glad I listened to my heart. And I totally encourage other woman explore this option, especially after a c-section. And not to be afraid of it. It's totally achievable .

Thank you for taking the time to read my birth story.

Return to Birth Stories Page

Please read our Site Terms of Use & Privacy Policy