A guest post by my friend, KW, who recently had a home birth! She is an empowered, informed, warrior momma whom I admire. 3 out of 5 of my babies were born at home and I wholeheartedly endorse the experience. Enjoy this inspiring peek into KWs experience, in her own words:

We made it 6 months! I can’t believe it. The last 6 months have been a whirlwind, and I have been too crazy busy living life that I never got to share some pics from my home birth! 😍😍😍 This was one of the best (and most painful 😂) days of my life and I’m so excited to give you all a glimpse into a really intimate life moment for my husband and I.

A lot of people I’m sure have wondered, “why would she want to do something like that?!???” Or “is it safe”? Lol I will answer the latter first….YES it is safe….no, not for everyone but my midwives screened me beforehand the entire 9 months for any possible problems that could come up, so for me…it was safe. Also, my husband is an ER nurse and would flip out if I were doing anything that would cause myself or my baby harm (yet I got that question a lot! 😂).

This was one of the sweetest, most precious, surreal, emotional, and amazing days of my life. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all who helped make this a reality for me. I asked a group of you for a bit of financial help because I was gonna be paying out of pocket… it meant so much to me that you made me a priority. What meant even more was the moral support and cheering me on thru this entire process. You guys are amazing friends.

Ladies, you CAN birth this way…you CAN have choices. Find a knowledgeable midwife, they are far more educated in natural birth than a doctor ever will be. If you’re going to do a natural birth go with a midwife (I had 2!) and a doula;) Educate yourself on the topic….watch The Business of Being Born, and read Ina May Gaskin books. They will help you!

My main reasons for my decision to do this homebirth was to avoid obstetric abuse and unnecessary interventions that can be more harmful in the long run. I wanted choices in the way I birthed as long as baby and I were safe… and to have our new baby born into a calm environment. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made!

I want to be a an advocate for women who want choices in the process of birthing their babies. We should never be pushed into anything without our consent, not at a hospital, not anywhere.

Thank you to all who were in this journey with me (one that was not without struggle!). It was not easy to explain this part of my life to many people and there are deep seated reasons why it was very important to me that I birth this way. Thank you to all who understood that whether you agreed with my decision or not.

Home birth is a brave choice. Support and encouragement by family and friends plays a significant role. Home birth is not the easiest path to take, but well worth the effort.

Becky Hastings, blogger, wife, mother, grandmother, passionate follower of Jesus and truth. As a breastfeeding counselor for over 23 years Becky is devoted to helping parents make wise decisions for the long-term health and wellbeing of their babies. As a member of a Vaccine Safety Education Coalition, Becky writes and speaks on the topic of vaccine safety.