Natural, Unassisted Home Water Birth

This is our 3rd child, but first time having a home birth or doing it naturally. Things moved VERY quickly & we almost missed taping the birth!
Since our other children had been induced by artificial means, which then led to epidurals, I had never truly experienced what labor, contractions, or delivering your baby felt like... It was amazing and painful, all at the same time. Nothing can top the comfort of your own home, ability to move around as you please, and the knowledge that your body knows what it's doing and is going to do what it is supposed to. This is the 'norm' across the planet, for women to deliver their babies at home- especially themselves. Here in the U.S., the 'norm' is to go to a hospital which then leads to unnecessary interventions and a very high percent of the time, unneeded C-Sections. The U.S. also has an extremely high infant mortality rate, so if we really think we are doing it right, we need to think again.
If we have another, we will definitely be delivering at home again. This baby was so calm upon delivery, as are almost all babies that come into the world in such a peaceful way. She didn't have the cold hands of a surgeon or 5 other nurses waiting to yank her from my arms as she was born. She was able to have a smooth transition to life, still getting all of the blood and nutrients from her placenta as she went from living in amniotic fluid to taking her first breaths.
After doing months of research and watching amazing documentaries such as 'The Business of Being Born", we knew a hospital was not the place for us to have a happy, healthy mom or baby. How we are born affects our lives, and we wanted our baby to have a non traumatic birth into this world and the smoothest transition as possible to life outside the womb. We also practiced a 'Lotus Birth' and left her cord intact to fall off on it's own.

"If the message of my film, 'Birth without Violence' were truly understood, we would realize that the welcome we offer newborns, with our sophisticated yet cold machinery, is indeed a very sad welcome. Instead we should invite them into this world with sensitivity, silence, respect and infinite love"
~Frederick Leboyer, M.D.