Can you birth a baby…in the shower?
In a recent post in a local moms group I saw a question that I’ve heard many times in the birth and expecting circle.
‘How do I find a local provider who will allow me to birth a position other than my back?’
After my blood boil calmed down a bit, I responded with my usual answer and its like dating. There are SO many different options in birth where the system and our culture puts limitations on us and a lot of it has to do with a lack of training or openness to serve. We’ve come to accept that its normal to lay on our back with feet in stirrups and its the only safe way a provider can deliver a baby. Thankfully, that’s not true and there are many providers out there who happily gain the skills to truly aid people birthing the way they wish.
The first home birth I witnessed really blew open the doors for me on what was possible with client-centered care and I’ll always be thankful for being invited into that space not only to witness but to document it. While this home birth here was years later, its one of the first things that popped into my head when I read that mom’s post.
I think one of the differences I see in a home birth vs hospital is how we interact with the space. In a hospital, the birthing family is the visitor and entering the medical space. In a home birth, the family is in their space and the medical staff is the visitor. I think, among other things, this physical setup allows us to also have this mindset of who is in ‘control’ of the story. Who is there to exist in their story and who is there to support it.
The freedom to make the choices in your labor, to be with your family, and move in a way that feels right to you in that given moment. I think there’s bits of this that can be emphasized in any birth space and I hope someday we have a shift in our culture to prioritize it.
After a bit, the team collectively had agreed that the next step was going to be breaking waters. Even with interventions like this, its always amazing to see how family can be and how peaceful and joyful these moments are.
And as sometimes happens…
Things picked up a bit when baby had space to drop further down
She got comfortable in the shower, the mix of the medicine ball and the water easing labor a bit but eventually she could tell it was getting way more intense.
This is where I always pause and think how different things would be with an unskilled provider. I have witnessed midwives deliver and assist mother’s and father’s in catching babies in all sorts of positions and locations. When we think of birth primally, it makes so much sense to have this fluidity of movement. Babies don’t always come programed perfectly positioned and ready to go. Bodies and babies are all shaped different and sometimes that requires movement and working together. Being in a space where you are uniquely supported by medical staff who are trained in doing so can have such a tremendous impact on how your birth story unfolds and also how you feel about it when its over.
And just like that. In the space between the shower mat and the bathroom floor, with her husband behind her, barely big enough space for a midwife to kneel in, a birth photographer to photograph over and a doula on standby with encouragement….this sweet baby boy was born.
I’m always amazing at how the fourth trimester starts with home births. Its always full of so much support, of help and aide, of love given from everyone. This space here was gentle and accommodating while also celebrating everything that got them to this point.
And we have…. a baby.
It seems like such a simple thing once you’re there. Its so easy to forget everything that led to it. The story that got you there. And support you had along the way.
Here’s my plug of ‘this is why you should hire a birth photographer’.
Watch the home birth film of baby Cade here
If you’ve made it this far and are expecting and thinking, wow, maybe I can do that! Here’s some awesome birth resources to get your started from some folks who have been there:
Zoe, a labor and birth doula on Oahu, Hawaii has an awesome guide available to purchase on 5 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Choosing a Birth Plan
Stay tuned for her birth story here on the blog!!!!!!
Looking for even more? Check out Love Based Birth for lots of opportunities to delve into how to help prepare for your dream birth
