Anyone here have a home birth and/or water birth story they would like to share?

I had a homebirth with my fourth son and it was incredible! my first three were born in the hospital but the fourth was the best!

My midwife was absolutely awesome…she would come to our house for all our prenatal visits and stay like an hour…we really got to know her and felt very comfortable with her. When my labor started, I had intermittant contrax for like two days that were severe enough to not get any sleep but not strong enough to progress labor. I was at 4.5 cm for two days!!! it was miserable, …but this was after my midwife stripped my membranes to get things going. On the day he was born I was pretty fed up so as a distraction my mom and my older son went to run some errands. Well, my water broke in the dollar store (I was 40 weeks 2 days) at 1:15pm. Lucky for me i had a pad on! Needly to say, I walked funny but FAST outta that store, got in the car, called Rosemarie (my midwife) and told her today was THE DAY. She met us at our house after that and checked me…I was at 6 cm, and the contrax were coming every 3 minutes. this was at 3:30pm. Luckilyt my husband had already gotten home. I was parked on my yoga ball just rocking through the contrax. As a side note, I highly HIGHLY recommend an exercise?yoga ball for sitting on during labor. I sat on that thing for my entire labor, until it was time to push. At about 5:45, I was in another zone, I was concentrating so hard on my labor. By this time it was time to push and Rosemarie and my husband helped my on my bed. It fet so good to be in my own house! I felt so peaceful and in control. At this point I was 9 cm and contracting VERY hard and fast….so much so that I felt I was about to throw up. From out of nowhere, the urge to push overcame me and I instictually flipped over and got on all fours. I made these gutteral sounds and grunts that I can’t believe came out of me. I pushed without trying..My body took over and I was in such pain but it was a good satisfying pain that I just went with it. there was no fear, just purpose. I knew what I had to do. Three minutes later my son was born into his fathers hands and it was exhilerating. I have never known such satisfaction, peace, joy, and contentment were possible and could exist. I was empowered. Five minuts after he was born, I got up, a little shaky, but thrilled that I could feel and walk! (not the case with my other three, I had an epidural) I got in the tub with my new baby and we bathed and nursed. I was in heaven.

Sorry this is so long but, the experience was so thrilling and I only hope you have such a wonderful birth experience as I did! Good luck and Congrats on your new baby!

my youngest son who is 26 this month, was born in the house. my late husband delivered him. he was not planned to be born in the house, but things happen. I was sent home twice and he decided that he would be born. it made us closer to my son but of course I love my other two children as much and I do my youngest son. we did not have a midwife. my other two where born in the hospital. my daughter was born natural. my oldest, I was half awake. then we called 911 to go to the hospital to make sure everything was fine