“I’ve had this inkling,” I said to my doula, rather sheepishly at 37.5 weeks pregnant, “that I’d like to home birth.” “Yeah?” she replied, totally unsurprised. This was the words from Joelle describing her empowering and supported home birth.

This episode looks deep into the decision making processes surrounding birth and as Joelle describes getting wrapped into the ‘program’ of having a baby. Joelle is a mother of 2 children, her first was an transformative experience from maiden to motherhood in a birth centre. During her second pregnancy Joelle somehow knew that she was heading to the decision to have a home birth. And sitting with her Doula one day she decided to go for it. Joelle having worked in the health and wellness industry for some time is no stranger to taking charge of your health, body and responsibility for your ultimate wellness and right to make our own choices. So begins the process in the last weeks to come…
From here I am going to extract Joelles words in the blog post she wrote, this was the writing that captured my freedom seeking heart. Joelle speaks heart and shares her experience to only broaden our prospective. Remember here below is a person sharing her story, listen with openess and kind heart and you will be amazed at how able we really are to birth and connect within to our biological processes…..
 
 
 
Written by Joelee:
“I’ve had this inkling,” I said to my doula, rather sheepishly at 37.5 weeks pregnant, “that I’d like to home birth.”
“Yeah?” she replied, totally unsurprised.
And so began the ping pong game between my thinking (and often fearful) mind and my ever trusting body. A game of weighing up the risks and the costs of birthing home against the shivering self empowerment I knew was on offer if I could just really, finally, lean into the primal and universal capability of my being and body. If I could trust my body – a thing that had felt so separate from myself for so many years in my past.
The process began with an investigation as to how to get a midwife to attend the birth. If we could get a midwife there, my doubts and fears were severely alleviated, I would go ahead for sure. This was unsuccessful… Really, with only two independent midwives covering our entire region, this late along my pregnancy, and frankly, a financial burden I could not afford, my chances were pretty slim.
I made more phone calls, had more discussions, and the ping pong match intensified as it looked like the only option we had now was to “free birth”… at home, no medical attendant. My mind was not so happy, but my heart would not let go.
I journalled and meditated on the idea, and got an overwhelming message from my body – “I am trusted to grow a baby from virtually nothing, and relied upon to feed a baby from my own resources, but I am not trusted to brith this same baby… Don’t take this rite of passage away from me”, it urged.
I knew, at the depths of me that this was what I was being asked to step into next. A free birth, with total trust in my self and my body was my next level of growth and expansion.
“Let’s do it” I said to my partner. “I’ll order some more towels.”
I wrote my birth plan, including contingencies and “if this happens, then do this” options. We talked over at what point we might go to the hospital to birth there, or call an ambulance if it came to that. I felt comfortable that I had the back up I needed. I had a wonderful birth team in place – my doula, and my partner – both of whom heId the space for me better than I could have imagined. I took on the ultimate responsibility and full commitment to listen to my body, to be utterly in my birthing experience so I would know exactly what I needed and when.
So it went, an all-night labour, (with just a few humps in the road). After about 12 hours,