A home birth is the best place for a calm birth. In one?s own home that sense of being in a foreign place is simply not a problem.? After all, this is ?home?.? In a hospital there are different smells, different sounds, and a large number of strangers all intent on their own agenda, not putting the pregnant woman first.? There are noises and loudspeakers and pinging machines and germs in the air and on every single surface. Those in attendance tend to watch a monitor instead of the woman who is in labor. She may be hooked up to an IV and an internal fetal monitor. All of these restrict movement and make the woman uncomfortable.

In her own home a woman can be the true center of attention.? The only people around her are people she feels close to and comfortable with.? There are no strange noises, or germs that are unfamiliar to her body. The lighting is whatever she wishes.? The place where she labors is entirely her choice, she can move from rented birthing tub to shower to bed to floor or birthing stool. She can eat or drink whatever is at hand and have her needs met without complaint or ?rule breaking?.

My daughter in law just gave birth in this beautiful, peaceful and safe way.? The baby was late, but less than two weeks.? No one suggested ?bringing it? by artificial means. After many days of gentle contractions that never developed into real ones, she began to feel that they were changing during the night of March 23rd. But she was able to go back to sleep. She woke my son (and he called me) about 6 am. Her labor was actually not long? and the baby was born at 9:40 am.? The birth was uneventful, if you want to call a miracle uneventful. It was so beautiful to watch,mystical in a way as she reached a zone of maternal intensity necessary to give birth naturally.? My son, her husband played his role as supporter with such calm and loving availability.? He made me proud but he also really seemed to be ?With her? in a way that only a truly trusting marriage can allow.

My handsome grandson is healthy, alert and surrounded by loving siblings parents and grandparents. How lucky he is to arrive into the world with so little trauma.? May he be lucky all his life.