A Home Birth Dream Lived by Elischia

I always knew I wanted a homebirth. It's something that just felt right, and safe. I was concerned that the closest I would achieve to this would be travelling 3 hours to a birth centre, due to our region having no access to private midwifery.

So I began searching for options and was extremely happy to come across Nurture and Nourish.

Upon meeting Ash, I felt heard and I felt that my choices would be carried out with zero judgement or coercion. Her knowledge was exceptional and she always endeavoured to make sure I had all sides of information before every decision I had to make.

She was warm, supportive and reassurring every step of the way.

My pregnancy progressed effortlessly and Ashleigh allowed me to just, be. Every test, every ultrasound, she would always be two steps ahead, organised, thorough and ready to answer my questions.

My husband and I attended one of Ash's Calmbirth classes which we both found exceptionally informative and it really helped my husband understand what to look out for during labour and gave us tools and measures to approach the birth space with more calmness and ease.

As my husband already had 3 children to a previous relationship, his views were very limited as he'd only experienced caesarean births in a hospital setting. The Calmbirth class gave us the added courage and confidence in my choice to homebirth.

As my due date grew closer, I began seeing Ash in my home. Whilst I always enjoyed seeing her in the clinic, there was something about her popping over that made it feel all that more personal and comforting.

I approached 39+2 weeks and ended up having a "bloody show". I called Ash to let her know and I was reassured that the process may take time and to keep her informed. Having that access 24/7 to someone was invaluable and you can not put a price on that type of care.

As the next couple of days came and went I began experiencing period like cramping until I reached 39+4 which things started to feel as though they were ramping up. Ash continued to be available to my questions and calls until it was early hours of a Monday morning where I had been feeling contractions progress closer together and believed I needed her on hand.

As she was an hour away both myself and my husband knew we had to give her time to get to us so we'd called her when we thought the timing may be right. Ash drove all the way to us only for my contractions to simmer off. So after giving us some extra guidance on contraction timing, she made the trip back home.

The next day came and contractions continued, by the Monday evening after experiencing the pain in my lower back for the previous 24 hours, I had began to lose confidence in my bodies ability and began doubting the process.

I called Ash late that night which she explained that my anxieties and stress were not allowing my body to go into full labour and I needed to try and relax and rest as much as possible.

With her reassurance, I tried to rest for the rest of the night. Contractions started coming closer together, at this stage I had one instance where I felt the urge to push. So we had asked Ash to return.

Ash came in quietly and calmly and gradually set up her thing's. As I finished a contraction, with my consent, we decided to check to see how dilated I was to which it turned out I was fully dilated.

Ash left me to continue doing my thing, constantly there, quietly monitoring baby's heart rate and there if I needed anything.

I returned to hopping into the birth pool, Ash close by and my husband beside me outside of the pool. As each contraction approached I remember in my mind thinking that it was bringing me closer to my baby girl.
The moment grew closer and Ash explained to me that baby's head was extremely low and engaged.

I continued to let my body do what it felt necessary to do until the next moment Ash was behind me with her torch and mirror in which at the time I remember laughing in my head and finding it amusing but did not want to see the reflection for myself. 

The time came and I remember Ash's voice calmly telling me the head was near and with the shadows from the light in the room, with the next contraction I felt and could see the shadow of baby's head come out.

Ash continued to calmly explain to me the process of birthing the shoulder's and to slowly breathe and slow things down. I had asked her could she catch baby for me or help with the process.

My body continued to contract and my baby girl finally was birthed into the pool. Ash right beside me, getting me slowly to lift her to the surface. Ash guided me to the side to sit back and instantly put baby to my chest and carried out her checks.

Our little girl cried, we gave her a moment of time and then put her to the breast. 

Ash stayed close, reassuring me everything was okay and explained that I still had to birth the placenta. It didn't take long before I felt the sudden urge to push. This saw the placenta come out quite quickly.

I was given time to sit with my baby skin to skin before getting out of the pool and retreating to my lounge to lay down.

This was when Bec arrived and both her and Ash continued to monitor me, calmly beginning the clean up process around me while I slowly started to process the birth and rest.

So much was happening behind the scenes that Ash and Bec took care of whilst I was blissfully unaware and just given time to be with my daughter and just lay in awe of what I had just achieved.

Ash made the birth space feel so calm, so in control and effortless the whole way through.

Hers and Becs care for me, no words can explain how grateful I was for how calm and nuturing they were. They made my home environment feel so warm and safe, helping me every step of the way.

Afterwards Ash stayed back to help transport me to the hospital to have some extra tears stitched up. Having her there made me feel more comfortable and like I had someone there on behalf of me when I was in such an exhausted state.

Once returning home Ash made sure I was comfortable and we were settled in bed before having to make the trip back to Tamworth.

I will forever be grateful to Ash for the service she provides and for allowing my dream of a homebirth to be a lived experience. To be able to connect to the true nature of birth and for my first baby, I would not have had that opportunity anywhere else.

Our community has definitely benefited and will continue to have women empowered by choice and continuity of care, through Ashleigh and her clinic.

With so much love and thanks from myself, Adam and little Eden. 

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