A mother in the United States made the decision to give birth to her daughter at home. This event finally happened after much planning, and it was a wonderful experience for the entire small family.
There are certain birth decisions that are more novel than others. A woman of two from the United States named Rebecca decided to let her 3-year-old daughter Hunter attend her home birth. She aimed to give her daughter and her unborn son Rory a unique family experience.
She and her husband agreed that their daughter would be present at home during the delivery of their son instead of in the hospital. Rebecca gave birth on the sofa in her living room with the help of a doula (someone who supports a couple emotionally and practically during pregnancy and beyond), as well as a birth photographer.
She revealed to the web publication CafeMom that one of the reasons she wanted to give birth at home was so that her daughter could be present. I didn’t want to have to be apart from Hunter, therefore I wanted her to be as involved or as involved as she desired. She chose to give birth in the hospital for the same reason in the living room instead of having a water 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡.
As she began to get into ʟᴀʙᴏʀ, her husband went and brought 3-year-old Hunter into the room. According to her 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡 photographer and doula, Nicole Lachey, the little girl was reserved at first, but became more involved in the process. “She would gently stroke her mom and tell her she was doing a great job and she kept exclaiming how excited she was to meet ‘her 𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦,’” she said. “When Rory started to crown, the midwife invited Hunter over to be the first to touch her 𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦 brother. Hunter gladly reached over and put her finger on his head and said ‘it’s squishy.’”
While some do not share this conception of 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡, Rebecca justifies her choice by saying that by involving her daughter in all aspects of the 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡 of her little brother, this allowed her to develop very strong ties with him.
Just after he came into the world, she was able to have skin-to-skin contact with him, further reinforcing the intensity of this moment. Then comes a question: How could such a young 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥 react so well to an event that has caught the eye of so many adults? The present 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡 photographer explained that Rebecca talked a lot with Hunter about things she would see or hear during the 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡, so that she wouldn’t be surprised or sᴄᴀʀᴇᴅ. Thanks to all that preparation, even when his mother screamed, Hunter didn’t look away for a second.
To all those who would like to live such an experience with their 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren, Nicole adds that “the best thing to do to prepare them is to show them 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡 videos, to talk about all the aspects of 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡, and above all to present them with this from a positive angle. Birth is the most normal part of life; share it with your 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren and teach them from the beginning that 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡 is nothing to ꜰᴇᴀʀ. Birth is strength.”
Hunter was able to cheer and support her mother without batting an eye. What do you think of including a toddler during your ʟᴀʙᴏʀ?
