Our son Fox Eros freebirthed at home on 03/04/18, arriving Earthside at 8.15pm, at 40+2 weeks gestation
A Witness for the start
I was awoken to my waters leaking at 4.45am, and lay in bed for a couple of hours as they continued to trickle. I then got up and my husband took the day off work and ran some errands as I tidied around. At 11.05am they full on broke, Hollywood style! (Just as a Jehovahs Witness knocked on the door! My husband was trying his best to politely get rid of her as fast as he could as I’m stood in the hallway behind him, trousers round my ankles with fluid still pouring down and pooling all around me- 
😂)
Surges started up pretty quickly after that. Mild at first, then, as they increased, I wanted to labour alone in the bathroom. With every surge I would want to get in to hands and knees, then between them I was up and walking around in circles. My husband popped in every now and again to bring me drinks and then at 2pm, I timed my surges and they were at 1 min long, 3 mins apart. I then moved to the bedroom and continued to surge, but wanted the support of my husband there to rub my back as they got stronger.
Birthing Pool Time
We called our doula and she arrived at 4pm, and I got in the pool at around 5. The pool immediately made everything feel better, the warmth and the space. My surges continued to get stronger and my instinctual noises were feeling more raw and animalistic. My husband had lit candles and put on the essential- oils diffuser and the salt lamps and made the most incredible space for me, but I barely opened my eyes once I’d got in to the pool!
I didn’t want any music or sounds, it was so quiet and still, and I stayed in an all fours position with my head resting on the side of the pool and my hands draped over the sides for the entire time I was in there. During surges I would squeeze the hands of my doula and husband and he would rub my lower back which was amazing.
Fox is born
My body began pushing at around 7.30 and he was born at exactly 8.15. One surge had brought his head out, and so my husband jumped in the pool as we had both wanted him to catch him, and with the next surge his body slipped out like a fish! Jay passed him under my legs and placed him on my chest, he was moving his arms and smacking his lips the second he touched the air, and soon made the tiniest cough and cry.
He latched within 10 mins and we stayed in the pool together for about 40 mins, when I was then helped in to the living room, where with a cough, my placenta released at 9.15pm. We then waited another half an hour until the cord was completely white, limp and cold and we detached it. We were in bed by 10.30pm to have our first night as a family as our doula tidied away downstairs- 
👪
I was very swollen after the birth and have been using padsicles to reduce the swelling. I was looked at by a midwife the day after the birth and she believes that I have a 2nd degree tear. There’s no pain, just feels like discomfort from the swelling and I’m planning to let it heal alone. I wanted to use honey and seaweed but the swelling is in the way of me reaching it, so just trying to keep the area clean, legs closed, and daily Epsom salt baths.
The most powerful experience and the most incredible gift!- 
💛
