Ria's Homebirth with a Doula

7 months ago, almost to the day, I gave birth to the most lovely beautiful cheeky little girl who was more amazing than I could ever dream of. My story isn’t quite like others; I’m what social media call a ‘solo mother by choice’. Well it certainly wasn’t my first choice. I would have rather married and had a baby with my knight in shining armour, but he never appeared. And now I wouldn’t change my journey for the world because it would mean I wouldn’t have ended up with my little girl. My friend suggested (strongly persuaded) that I had a doula, which I didn’t know was a thing before speaking with her. Charlotte my doula changed everything for me.

On our first conversation about birth i said ‘I want all the drugs and to have my baby in hospital’. By the end of our first meeting I was somehow reading a book on home birthing.

After being about 2 chapters in I realised this was the path for me. The midwife, yoga teacher, nct instructor all seemed to get it. I went from feeling quite alone and like a black sheep in the pregnancy world to being quite understood by those who worked in it. Definitely not by anyone else ( apart from my parents who were fully behind my choice and anyone else who had had a home birth).

Since being a mum you hear a lot of birthing stories, but I’ve not heard one that went as amazing as my own. I truly believe that is down to my doula and having my dream home birth. I had no drugs, it definitely hurt but it wasn’t unbearable. I breathed through it like I was taught in yoga, and with the help of my doula.

My daughter was born 5 hours after going into labour in a birthing pool under the Christmas tree.

I don’t like talking too much about my birth to fellow mothers as it generally feels like I’m boasting

as many hospital births aren’t as relaxed, calm and beautiful as the experience I had. But I wanted to thank all those who supported my choice, and especially Charlotte who was my rock through pregnancy and the first few months of my daughter’s life. I don’t know what I would have done without her and am forever grateful.

I hope this makes someone at least think about home birth as an option and that you can have the same birthing experience that I did.