We didn't find out we were pregnant until I was 11 weeks along. I was fortunate not to have any pregnancy symptoms! After it was confirmed I was pregnant I read every book and Internet birth story I could. I wanted to have a home birth after reading all of the hospital stories. What stood out to me was the increased amount of medical "cascade" intervention leading to a negative birth experience.

I managed to find the only midwife in our country town to do home births. She matched our attitudes and was very laid-back and had a hands off approach. She rightly believed that women had been birthing for thousands of years and your body would know what to do. We had a very low-risk pregnancy so it felt right to attempt a home birth. I was power walking and swimming up until the week before the baby came.

Labor started gently at 2 p.m. on Sunday. I had contractions every 30 minutes and was excited for the time to be on us (as I was two weeks "overdue" and starting to peak out!). This continued until Monday 3 p.m. when the contractions changed to every 10 minutes. The contractions were strong and manageable. I used a TENS machine (hired from a pharmacy – yes I am an Aussie!) and it was the best thing ever. It was the perfect distraction tool.

At 6 p.m. Monday we rang the midwife and she came over to do an internal exam. Excruciating to have during contractions but necessary. She told us we were so far off, my cervix hadn't dropped and no dilation! What?!

The next few hours were flat out. We had two heat packs rotating between the microwave and my back (bliss!). I felt like a vomit (later realizing this was the "7 centimeters vomit") and the vomit caused me to lose my mucous plug (whoa, lots of it!). The contractions were very strong and five minutes apart. I had been going for three hours strong and was tiring. I told my partner that I wanted to go to the hospital as I wasn't sure I could last much longer.

We rang our midwife and she spoke to my partner. In hindsight she should have spoken to me to gauge where I was up to and hear me have a contraction. I was bent over the couch saying to my partner that I had peed my pants – twice! We laughed later when we realized it was my waters breaking. Everything happened so quickly and with the miscommunication with the midwife, a touch disappointing. It was also due to my lack of birthing experience!

We jumped into the car at midnight and drove to the hospital (oh my God, intense drive!). Once at the hospital I had the baby within 30 minutes. It was so annoying having the heart rate monitor around my belly but I blocked it out and birthed our beautiful baby.

I delivered the placenta naturally 30 minutes later. All was done by 3 a.m. Tuesday. I checked out of the hospital Tuesday 11 a.m. I was so glad to go home.

Looking back I was so set on a home/water birth but luckily I had read a birth story where her message was "to expect the unexpected and to remember the ultimate goal is a healthy mother and baby."

I remember my only question was "What does labor pain feel like?" For a first baby this was foremost in my mind. Once you have a baby you realize that there are no words in the English language that adequately describe the sensation. I would call it "intense discomfort." Ride each contraction and let it go. That is all you can do; be in the moment.

My first birth was perfect. It was perfect the way it was, and perfect the way it wasn't.

You are strong enough and you will get through it. Be positive and your experience will be positive.

I am shooting for a complete home/water birth for baby No. 2!