Giving birth as a family!
by Jessica Brown
When I was pregnant with our first daughter, the most important thing to me was the physical health of my baby and myself. Attended by a doctor, I gave birth in a hospital. She was born healthy. I was healthy and there was no need for any interventions. Although you could say everything went well, I still felt as though something was missing. When I became pregnant with our second daughter, we chose a midwife as my primary caregiver. Still highly influenced by family, media, and society, I gave birth in a hospital. Once again, a “healthy” delivery. For the birth of our third baby, we chose to have a homebirth.
My homebirth was an intensely powerful yet gentle experience. The intimacy of being in my home, surrounded by my husband and children, is beyond words. My body was able to listen to my mind and I was able to listen to my body, uninterrupted by monitors, nurses, lights, and other people’s agendas. This gave me the freedom to trust my own extraordinary instincts. It felt natural, the way birth was meant to be. I found strength and courage within myself I never knew I had. I also found strength in my family that night. As the four of us became five, an incredible bond formed between us that cannot be described. Our baby was born into her daddy’s arms, in a room filled with love, commitment, and trust. It was then that I realized that having a baby was much more than just the physical act of giving birth. We were blessed with another healthy delivery; the difference was that this time, it was also emotionally healthy, for myself, for our baby, and for our family.
Giving birth as a family!
Based in Prince George, in northcentral British Columbia, Jessica is a stay-at-home mom of three amazing daughters.