My Unmedicated Home Birth Story

"Someday very soon I'm going to be sending you guys my last bump pic" – a text I sent to my mom and sister at 8pm on Thursday night. I started having pre-labor contractions at 10:30pm that same night, then delivered sweet Suede at 6:17pm the next day. 

I want to share my birth story with you because like many things women go through, the reality is often glossed over in favor of the story we think other women want to hear. Now that I’ve gone through what was one of the most traumatic but also formative experiences of my life thus far, I feel a desire to share what it was really like for me. Kyle and I are experiencing the full range of emotions, all day, every day and we are overwhelmingly grateful for Suede’s health and the very sweet and tender moments we’ve all shared together over the last few weeks. I hope this birth story empowers those of you who are pregnant to know what to expect and understand that everything you’re feeling is completely okay to feel, those of you who are thinking about starting a family soon to think through what you want your own birth story to look like, and those of you who don’t have children yet to feel like you can best support your friends and family who have recently given birth.