It's a running joke between us to laugh about how my husband has a big head. In all seriousness though, when I got pregnant with my first baby I became so scared to have a big headed baby that I wouldn't be able to push out. Hahaha. I initially became interested in homebirth because I did not have health insurance and I really didn't want to get out of the hospital with a bill of $4,000 (normal no complication birth) to up to $30 000 for a c-section. We were in a very dire place financially so we decided that a homebirth would be a good option for us. We found a God-sent midwife and she also helped in educating and assuring me of my capabilities to birth as a woman.

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"I will always remember how light and joyful I felt during those first hours of contractions"

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Researching and educating myself about the birth process changed my life. "The Business of Being Born" a documentary available on YouTube really shocked me and solidified my decision. By the time I was in labor at 39 weeks, I had read 5 books and watched multiple documentaries about natural birth, homebirth as well as videos of live births. I was feeling pretty confident! I wasn't scared about the head not fitting because I learned that the pelvic floor becomes more supple and the vagina stretches.

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My contractions started at 10 pm; they were not too bad and I was happy to finally be close to meeting my baby. I will always remember how light and joyful I felt those first hours of contractions. I was joking and laughing with my husband in between contractions.

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I enjoyed a long and nice shower. Then the real pain came! The jokes and laughs stopped real quick. We called the midwife because the waves were now every 4 minutes. The lights were dim and I felt comfortable. My husband was holding me and massaging my back during the contractions. After the birth pool was installed, I went right in and the pressure of contractions were much more bearable, less intense.

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The warm water felt so nice on my skin. One thing that really surprised me was how passive my midwife was. She stayed away, letting me labor with my husband. From time to time, she would come and monitor the baby's heartbeat.

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"I felt so empowered and from that moment, I believed I could do anything."

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I don't know how long I stayed in the tub but by 7 am I started pushing. My midwife coached me through it so flawlessly she told me it's like 2 steps forward and one step back (regarding the baby's head coming out and returning back in). She told me to stop my pushing urge when I felt pain (to avoid tearing), let the baby go back a little and next contraction push again. It was wonderful. At 7:58 am my baby came out and I caught her. I felt so empowered and from that moment I believed I could do anything I was dedicated to accomplish in this life. My advice for a future mother is to educate yourself. There are many resources that you can find that will briefly explain your anatomy, hysiology and the process of birth. Watch some testimonies and live births on YouTube. Afterwards, you will believe that your body is able and completely capable of birthing!