Four homebirths of Poppy and David: 1978-1988

Aloha, My husband and I have given birth to our four children at home, the first with a trained chiropractor and the other three with lay-midwives in Oregon. All four weighed over 10 pounds!! My first child was born in 1972 in a hospital, using self-taught natural childbirth, totally unmedicated and I went home the next morning, all quite radical for that time. But, I knew homebirth was the way to go. Each of my four homebirths was truely wonderful, I labored where and how I wanted, surrounded by the family and friends I carefully choose. I did have a small perineal tear with my first homebirth, but each birth attended by my wonderful midwives had no tear, in spite of my babies having a 15" head (way above average). After the birth of baby #3, I became an apprentice midwife and childbirth educator, working with the two midwives who caught my last three children. I have attended nearly 200 births, many born in water here in Hawaii. My last two labors, I spent much time soaking in a warm tub, but stepped out to give birth standing up. Standing, half squatting or a full squat is a wonderful way to birth, as you aren't sitting on the head as the baby's head emerges from your body. I also felt more control and less pain in my two standing births. The sensation of an emerging head is really hard to explain, one so many are missing today, with the high use of epidurals. Standing births are a bit trickier for the "catcher" midwife, who may have to sit or lay on the floor to receive the new life. Standing births are best with two people to hang onto, one arm around the shoulders of your supporters. My three home births with my midwives had total labor time of 3 hours, with each of my older children helping and watching. I am very grateful for the wonderful birth experiences God has blessed me with. I am now a grandma, a wonderful followup from raising so many children.