Zariah’s Home Birth Story
Sean and I went out for breakfast on a beautiful sunny spring morning at 10:30am, Saturday 18/10/25. During breakfast I felt an uncomfortable, crampy feeling and had to stand because sitting didn’t feel great. I brushed it off and we continued our day running errands in town. We got home around 1pm and I snuggled up on the couch.
The crampy feeling kept returning. Even though I was 39+4, I expected to go over my “due” date, so I didn’t think much of it. The cramps were coming every 15 minutes, but I ignored them and actually expected them to go away lol.
By 8pm they were still coming and getting slightly stronger. I started to wonder if this was labour or just a false start.
When we went to bed, the cramps intensified again and were 10 mins apart. I tried sleeping but they kept waking me. I stayed awake all night just resting with my eyes closed, while Sean slept soundly beside me.
Around 5am I went to the toilet and noticed I had started to lose my mucus plug. I told Sean and he got up with me. I felt this crazy urge to clean the floors, but standing was too uncomfortable so Sean vacuumed and mopped whilst I sat on the birth ball haha.
We put the TENS machine on and I laboured downstairs until around 8am, then Sean suggested we head to our beautiful birthing room upstairs. We got into bed and we snuggled whilst I breathed through each contraction.
At 10:30am my waters broke while I was on the toilet. Sean kept saying he thought we should call our midwife, Michelle. My contractions were 3 minutes apart but only 40–50 seconds long. I still didn’t feel like I needed extra support yet and told her it wasn’t time.
I laboured in bed while Sean filled the pool for me. Getting into the warm water felt amaaaaaazing!
“Bringing our daughter into the world was the best day of my life. I’m eternally grateful for Sean and our amazing midwives for helping make it everything I envisioned. And a special shout out to our Calm Birth teacher, Cherie. Everything we learnt in the course, especially the breathing techniques, equipped us with the knowledge and confidence to help us achieve our dream birth”
Around 1pm I felt ready for Michelle to come and check on us. She arrived around 2pm, checked my blood pressure and baby’s heart rate, and everything was perfect. I only wanted reassurance so I said she could go home, but she decided to stay, knowing she’d be called back soon anyway.
Throughout the entire day I needed Sean close. Every contraction, he touched me, reassured me, rubbed my back, kissed my head. I actually thought I wouldn’t want to be touched in labour, but all I wanted was him.
The contractions became intense with barely any breaks and the pressure felt like my body was splitting open. I started thinking of how I could escape the sensations, an epidural or a c-section, but I had made it clear pre-labour that no matter what I said in the moment, Sean and Michelle were not to take me to hospital. I even considered calling an ambulance for myself lol. Looking back, this was transition and it was the hardest mental and physical phase.
The burning and splitting sensation become way more intense. I told Michelle, she checked with a mirror in the water and said, “Yep, her head is right there.” She called Lauren, our second midwife, and Lauren arrived shortly after.
I was so shocked because I didn’t push once! It never even occurred to me to push. I literally breathed her out and let my body do the work.
I felt her head crowning and coming further out with each contraction, then slide back when it ended. Her head finally emerged. I had a three-minute break, then with the next contraction her body followed. Guided by Michelle, I reached down, lifted her out of the water, and brought her to my chest.
“Just me, my intuition, my body, my baby, and Sean’s unwavering support”
She didn’t take a breath immediately and after about a minute, the energy in the room shifted. Michelle and Lauren assisted her and she required some oxygen to help her take a breath, and she was then placed back onto my chest.
We then got out of the pool so I could deliver the placenta on the toilet, and it came easily and naturally. I had a really long cord and a true knot.
Michelle helped us back to bed where Sean, Sapphy (our hairless Chinese Crested), myself and our baby girl all snuggled together, and we were in total amazement of this beautiful little girl we had created together.
Zariah and Sapphy
I got the birth I dreamed of: at home, in water, with calm music, fairy lights, and most importantly, a completely natural and physiological birth. No cervical exams, no coached pushing, no drugs. Just me, my intuition, my body, my baby, and Sean’s unwavering support.
Bringing our daughter into the world was the best day of my life. I’m eternally grateful for Sean and our amazing midwives for helping make it everything I envisioned. And a special shout out to our Calm Birth teacher, Cherie. Everything we learnt in the course, especially the breathing techniques, equipped us with the knowledge and confidence to help us achieve our dream birth 💗
Holly & Sean
