The sun crept through the orange trees in the backyard, creating the most radiant magenta and golden sunrise. We gazed out the window from the kitchen, and I thought to myself, “What a beautiful day to give birth.” Next to me, the laboring mother tried to take a picture, but not even a new iPhone camera could catch the beauty of the morning of what would be her daughter’s birthday.

Inside their perfectly decorated mid-century modern home, preparations were underway for the anticipated home birth. The scene was quiet: just the couple, myself (the doula), a nurse, and the certified nurse midwife were present. The husband lovingly filled the birthing tub with hot water while I stayed with the mother in their bedroom, massaging her lower back as she breathed through each contraction. There was an ease to the morning, and a quiet anticipation of the new life about to join us earthside.

When she was ready, the mama moved into the tub, finding comfort in the warm waters while her diffuser nearby sent the familiar scents of her essential oils into the air. A picture of their wedding party was nearby, as was a letterboard with her breathing mantra. The smell of omelets lingered in the air from their morning breakfast, and down the hall you could find a rogue sock on the tile floor from one of their older children. The midwife sat nearby patiently waiting for her cue; even I wondered for a moment what we were waiting for until suddenly the mama cried out. The midwife sprang to action, pulled on long gloves and within minutes, a beautiful baby was born. It was a gender surprise, and when the mother lifted the baby out of the water and cried out, “It’s a girl!” I broke into tears. It was the first birth I had ever witnessed, and it was a perfect setting.

I learned quickly why the midwives at South Coast Midwifery enjoy home births. It’s really something special to be in the comforts of someone else’s home as they labor and deliver their child. To be a part of this intimate event is one thing, but the added element of spending time in the couple’s home during labor, delivery, and postpartum adds an extra bit of intimacy to the sacred event that is hard to describe. It’s comfortable, easy, and familiar. The expectant parents are calm within their own environment. They feel safe and ready.

You may be thinking to yourself that this is wildly unsafe. Allow me to stop you right now and explain. First and foremost, midwives care for low-risk pregnant women. Some women are low-risk all the way up to the day they give birth; if things change then the midwives will send a client to an OB/GYN for their birth (a post for another day). They absolutely will not keep you in their care if there is something amidst. At the time the midwives enter your home during your labor, or when you are admitted to the birth center, your risk level is evaluated and the continuation of care is based off this assessment. Midwives are highly-trained licensed medical providers, and are ready for all emergencies. Any equipment, supplies, or medication they have at the birth center are also with them at a home birth. Theoretically, if you are in favor of birth center births, you are in favor of home births. Every emergency that could be handled at the center can be handled at home such as postpartum hemorrhage, neonatal resuscitation, perineal tears and repairs, shoulder dystocia, and complications with the umbilical cord.

Lorri Walker, the founder and “chief baby catcher” of South Coast, draws a parallel between home vs center births and the dilemma of, “Should we eat out, or cook for ourselves?” Sure, going out is nice because you don’t have to clean up afterwards and there is no preparation; however you do need to get yourself there and sit somewhere you aren’t familiar. At home, you need to prep and handle all of the cleanup, but it's nice to not have to travel and just be content afterwards. It’s the perfect analogy for anyone considering the setting they want for an out of hospital birth.

It’s not for everyone though, and I recognize that. There are many people who feel safe with a doctor in a hospital. You may think that because I started this internship and am a doula, that I am anti-doctors, anti-pain medication, or judgmental of those who choose interventions or c-sections. Please do not think this for it is not true. The only thing I care most passionately about is that women are given choices about their births. Many, many decisions are not emergencies (though there are plenty that are), and when there is a choice, I hope you are given one. Whether it be a question of home/hospital/birth center, medication free or with an epidural, on your back/your knees/in a tub, with candles burning or Led Zeppelin playing in the background, I hope you know you have a choice. And if you are seeking choices and feeling stuck, perhaps midwifery is the place for you. I know it is the place for me.