I had a wonderful experience with my homebirth. My midwife had apprenticed with a midwife from the UK (where homebirth is much more widely accepted) and has been practicing in my area for 20 years. I had support from my entire family, which made it easier when people looked at me with incredulity and exclaimed, Are you CRAZY?

I mentally prepared for childbirth. I took 2-mile walks every day up until the day I gave birth and visualized myself having a successful labor. For me, success was first and foremost being relaxed and focused on my task. I knew that there were many things I would not be able to control, but I could control how I responded to each situation that presented itself. I imagined different scenarios, including hospital transport, emergency Cesarean Section, and the death of my baby. I also read a lot of books on childbirth, talked at length to my mother (who is a veteran homebirther of two and mother of six), and asked lots of hard questions at my prenatal appointments.

When the big day came around, I was ready. I began labor in the evening, and by the time I went to bed, I knew that this was it. At 10 o'clock, my contractions were about two minutes apart. When I called my mom, all I could hear were my four sisters in the background screaming. About 20 minutes later, my extremely excited mom showed up (she doesn't get excited). About 10 minutes after that, there came a timid knock on the door -- my sisters Stephanie, Carolynne, and Kimberly could not stay away any longer!

Labor progressed nicely and by 2 o'clock in the morning I was in transition. I think I transitioned in one horrible contraction. It made my entire body shake and my stomach decide, Okay, it's time to get rid of these strawberry popsicles. After that, my body took a nice break. All my sisters, my husband, and sister-in-law stood around me, massaging my quivering legs, giving me water after contractions, and cooling my face with a washcloth. I was treated like a princess. There were no annoying nurses, no IVs, no beeping medical contraptions or strangers walking by the door. It was peaceful being there with the people I loved in my own home.

After another strong contraction, I felt like I couldn't handle it anymore. I told my midwife, who checked me and confirmed what I had been thinking. I was fully dilated and it was time to start pushing. After two hours and a variety of positions, I laid on my own comfy bed as my wonderful husband caught our first daughter, Olivia Christine (named after my 7-year-old sister, Caitlin Christine, who by the way is a very proud aunt). The whole time I was saying, I can't do this! and everyone in the room was saying in unison, You're doing it! When they put that little pink bundle on my chest and she stopped crying to look up at me with lucid blue eyes, well I didn't think It was all worth it, but I did think she was the most beautiful baby in the world. Eight months later, she still is.

I would suggest that everyone should become educated about homebirth, because it really is a safe option. Instead of just assuming that a hospital birth attended by an OB/GYN is the only way to go, check out Certified Nurse Midwives or Direct Entry Midwives in your area. I have to say, my experience with a midwife was great. Even if I do decide to have my second baby in the hospital, I will choose to have a midwife attend me. They really do treat birth as a natural process and empower you to give birth in a successful way.