THE COMFORT OF HOME

Ask any mama, and she will tell you when she had her baby one of the most important things was that she did it in a place where she felt safe.

A place where she felt supported, where her voice was heard and respected, where the people there cared about her well being both physically and mentally. When you are in that kind of an environment you can let go of fear, your body can do what it is supposed to do and labor progresses.

For many women the hospital is not that place so they plan for a birth at home.

If you’ve ever done any kind of research on the subject, you know that home births can be a great option for some women. Midwives are extremely capable of assessing home birth candidates and caring for them during labor. They come fully prepared with necessary medical equipment and have plans in place for transfers if the need arises.

I had a client contact me a few months ago about documenting the birth of their second son at home and I could hardly contain my excitement. As a mama who would have loved to have had her babies at home but didn’t get the chance to, being witness to a home birth was something I have really wanted to do and I couldn’t have asked for a more amazing one to have as my first.

Watching Aubrey labor at home, in a birthing tub set up in her master bedroom was incredible. She had her own music playing, the lights were dimmed, her favorite Bible verses hung on the wall behind her cheering her on with every contraction. Every piece of her birth was extraordinary but completely normal at the same time.

Moments after the baby was born their older son woke up and came to greet his new baby brother in his parents’ room, a familiar room he had been in a thousand times before and will be in a million times more but this was his first time as a big brother. He was able to be a part of his sibling’s birth in such a meaningful way.

When they were ready to get out of the tub Aubrey was helped into her bed, her own comfortable bed (no hospital beds here y’all!!).

She was able to rest and nurse baby Silas while her husband read a book to Amos. This is one of my favorite photos from the whole day. I feel like it captures what a home birth can be; calm, normal, familiar.

There was so much love in that room, everyone could feel it like a pulsing heartbeat. I remember thinking to myself as I drove home how lucky I was to be there and how lucky they were that they didn’t have to leave.