I have two little boys named Billy and Rocco. Their births couldn’t have been more different.

With Billy, we planned a water birth at home. Unfortunately, Billy’s head wasn’t tucked and was therefore obstructed in my pelvis, meaning he was unable to be born naturally. We transferred to the hospital where I had to have an epidural so that I wouldn’t feel any contractions and therefore not push. We hoped this would give Billy time to move his head to a more favourable position. This ultimately proved to be unsuccessful and I was told I needed to have a caesarean, which I found difficult to accept because I had my heart set on a natural home birth. However, the caesarean was a success and I can still today recall the overwhelming joy that my husband and I felt when we welcomed Billy into the world.

Throughout the entire birthing process our doula was incredible. She offered constant emotional and physical support not only to me but to my husband as well. She was able to answer his questions and alleviate any concerns he had so that I could focus my energy on giving birth.

Whilst Billy’s birth didn’t happen as we’d ‘planned’, it was nonetheless a valuable learning experience and one I am grateful for.

For the birth of our second son, Rocco, my husband and I planned for a VBAC^ water birth; like we’d hoped for with Billy. This time around we got lucky, as Rocco was born quickly and naturally at the hospital’s birth centre.

Rocco’s birth was incredibly empowering for me, as it helped me to heal the emotions I was still carrying from Billy’s birth.

It was my own birth experiences that made me want to support other women and their partners in their birthing journeys. I feel incredibly honoured every time I am asked to be a doula.

^ Vaginal Birth After Caesarean