Our journey to home birth was a challenging, but fulfilling one. We had previously gone through three hospital births, all with a doula, bringing us three beautiful little girls. While the outcome was amazing each time, I felt somewhat troubled by the labor and birth process. Having done a lot of reading prior to my firstborn, I was well aware of all the pitfalls of hospital births. Each time, I came in defensively and ready to advocate for myself and the birth process I desired. However, having to be on the defensive, and constantly on the alert, took away from my ability to be totally present and immersed in the beauty of each labor, delivery and postpartum care. So, when it came to having our fourth, we decided to give the birth center a try. Fortuitously, as it turns out, they were filled up for June! My husband was much more comfortable resorting to the hospital route. However, having felt enticed for a number of years by alternatives to a conventional hospital setting, I took the opportunity to investigate the home birth option. As I read all about it, I became absolutely certain that this was the route for me. While it took some nurturing on my part, I was able to convince my husband to meet with Christy and Meredith to learn more about it. Christy and Meredith were incredibly adept at addressing my husband’s concerns in a validating, fact-based way; as well as reinforcing for me the empowerment and comfort I would experience through a home birth. They made clear that a home birth isn’t a one-size-fits-all model; but rather they could individualize the experience to make it technically, emotionally and physically comfortable for each couple. Each subsequent meeting with the midwives leading up to the birth further aligned me and my husband. By the time labor began, we were both excited to be in the comfort of our own home and to experience the process on our terms.
The actual birth itself was completely pleasant and comfortable. The labor progressed faster than the typical indicators led Meredith to believe--who had planned to arrive earlier than Christy during labor; but Meredith was completely calm (and calming) throughout and made sure Christy made it to the scene by the time of the birth itself. Once the baby emerged, they were equally adept at caring for him as they were for me and we had total faith that we were in good hands. My husband and I had a million questions during the weeks that followed about new and natural ways to care for any small ailments that arose – both for mom and baby – and they had their own unique answers for everything; and their "less is more" approach definitely had a greater impact on our recovery and well being than the suggestions we were given by the traditional medical establishment. All in all, from pre-care to post-care, this was the right decision for us and an approach that we wish we had given consideration to earlier in our child-bearing lives.