My name is Emma
I am a mother of two beautiful boys, my second is 3 months old and I wanted to share his birth story with you all.
This was my second successful home birth and I share my story in hopes of helping other incredible women make the choice to birth their babies their way in the comfort and safety of their own homes. Let us all find our way back to nature.
Leo Thomas Dubbelman was born on 16 August at 10am.
I could feel that my cervix had started to dilate a few days before he was born and my husband kept checking the purple line on my bum. My mucus plug had been coming out for the past two weeks so I knew the time was near. I was heading for my due date. Shasta and I were chatting often and she said I was in soft labour.
I was birthing my baby in our new dream home in Cape St Francis that we had moved to 5 weeks before and everything was so aligned. I had found an incredible relaxed midwife who is the only one who supports home births so far from a hospital (1h15min from pe)
The day before he was born I went for a chiro/cranio/acupuncture session with a friend of mine here and my waters broke while I was lying on her table. I calmly went home and carried on as usual but taking it very easy. I chose not to tell my midwife that my waters had broken even though I had signed a form saying I would tell her and then allow them to transfer me to hospital if labour hadn’t started after 24 hours. In the uk they give women 3 days! There was no ways I was putting myself on that ticking clock.
I put my toddler to bed as usual that night and had a good sleep. I woke up around 7am with a proper bloody mucus show and I knew it would be soon. Shasta said it was time to tell the midwives and they started making their way here.
I was sitting in bed after a delicious breakfast with my golden retriever by my side when max came in and asked me for some boobie. We lay quietly together as he suckled and listened to a beautiful song my aunt had sent me. After that the contractions started. They were gentle at first but got stronger fast. I needed everyone except my husband out of the house. My parents took max to their house and everything went still. I put my diffuser on with frankincense and lavender in it and phoned Shasta. This was at 9am. I laboured in my bedroom watching the sea with my phone at my head and Shasta taking me through and my incredible calm husband at my side. The contractions were 30 seconds apart and Shasta told Brad to get ready to catch his baby!
The midwife’s arrived 10min before Leo was born. I held the top of his head in my hand as I slowly guided him into the world and while I was on all fours I caught him into my arms.
The birth took an hour from start to finish and he landed so gently after the days of soft labour with no pain. I had been repeating a mantra in my head for months ‘birth doesn’t have to be painful’ The contractions were intense but I wouldn’t label it as pain. I had manifested my dream birth. He went straight onto the boob and hasn’t cried since he popped out of me.
The midwife and her second midwife were absolutely amazing and stayed with Brad and I the whole day, giving us the golden hour completely undisturbed and checking in on us, bringing us tea and food and cleaning and doing all the bloody laundry. I felt so held and loved and supported.
All I can say is wow, our bodies and our minds are just incredible and I am so grateful for my perfect baby boy and the amazing birth team I had by my side.
Only love.