My Home Water Birth

Quick, beautiful, healing, wonderful home birth
End footage courtesy my midwife team
From my midwife: " I love how Evelyn makes it obvious she doing well with good eye contact and flexed arms and a side to side movement, like she’s still trying to swim. Baby’s have to swallow before they will take their first breath, which will naturally clear the airway of any residual mucous to allow for breathing. Also, the placenta is sending the blood that was sent to it during the pushing stage back, which has the effect of increasing blood volume up to 20%! This is an incredibly important aspect of breathing as this greater blood volume causes the tissue around the alveolar spaces to become erect and able to absorb the fluid that is in them. The lymphatic system also absorbs some of this fluid, which is stimulated by skin to skin contact. So early cord clamping, and taking baby off of mama, can effect how a baby transitions to breathing. You can actually see Evelyn swallowing to clear her airways. Check out Barbara Harper’s well written article Birth, Bath, and Beyond: The Science and Safety of Water Immersion in Labor and Birth." [link to article down in comments]

Please note: Crying is only 1 of 3 indicators of a healthy birth. The other two are movement and color. Before she starts crying, she is squeaking at us, but it is hard to hear because of the white noise and chatter. She was active in my arms and had great color as soon as she emerged from the water.

This pregnancy and birth were both best possible outcomes, no health problems during pregnancy and no complications during labor.

we were so blessed by our team

birthing gown by pretty pushers