Our Road to a Homebirth

Care, Coverage, and Childbearing in England | Part I

Our daughter, Adaline, was born at home in England after 10 hours of unmedicated labour with two midwives by our side. Her birth was a drastic contrast to the circumstances of our son, Enzo’s birth. I had never really considered giving birth at home previously, but that is precisely where my path led, and it was one of the most redemptive, sacred moments of my life. 

I want to preface that by sharing our story, we are not suggesting that this is the path for everyone. This is our story and our decision, and we share it with love and care.

My History

Since memory allows, I have envisioned myself as a mother. I prayed earnestly to one day have the honour of bringing lives into this world to love, cherish, and steward. I received a Master’s Degree in Education and worked with children for many years. And when it came time for Gino and me to begin our journey towards parenthood, I was incredibly eager (to say the least). We found out we were pregnant for the first time while on a trip to England. We were swept up in joy, excitement, gratitude, and the shifting of life as we knew it had already begun. I recall having minor symptoms that Google tells you to expect. Then I remember not feeling those symptoms as strongly. A test at the doctor’s office came up negative. Blood work done in a cold hospital room brought fear. A call the day after Thanksgiving told us we were losing our baby. These were words we never imagined we would hear because when we imagine our own life, it happens through rose-tinted glasses, and we never picture the pain, do we? Sorrow and mourning followed, and a journey of surrender to the Lord brought us to New Year’s Day, 2019, when I handed a positive pregnancy test over to my husband. At our 20-week anatomy scan, we found out I had a partial placenta previa, which, if you’re like us and don’t know what that is, you can read more about it here. If my placenta didn’t shift, we would need to schedule a C-Section to bring our baby into the world safely. I remember feeling the image of my dream birth shatter. At first, I didn’t want to accept it. However, even then, I felt an overwhelming peace and realised this would be our story, whether it was the one I had desired or not. This is what the Lord had for us and was how He would bring our baby safely into the world. And in the early morning hours of a warm August day, our beautiful rainbow baby, Enzo, came into the world via C-Section. A day full of beauty and palpable joy, but also pain and trauma I didn’t realise I had until years later (more on that to come).

The path to our decision to have a home birth

Experiencing the NHS

In the U.S., I had only heard the phrase, “Once a C-Section, Always a C-Section,” so when we became pregnant with our daughter, I assumed that was the path I was on. We had our first couple appointments in the States before we left for the U.K., and then we stepped into the new world of the National Health Service. Health coverage in England is very different from the United States. The U.S. has the largest private-sector system that relies on the purchase of private health insurance. In contrast, the U.K. has one of the largest public sector systems, with the government providing healthcare to all citizens through taxation. There’s, of course, a lot more to the two wildly different systems, and as to be expected, it took a lot of learning and adjusting as we went along. Compounding the unfamiliarity with the system, we landed in the U.K. right in the middle of the Pandemic, and the country shut down a couple of weeks after our arrival. This caused increased tension in our experience as we were engaging in this part of life at an incredibly unique time. The unexpected comfort this brought was that, in a way, we were all learning as we went along in this strange historical moment, and it helped us not feel as isolated. 

I was nervous but eager to experience firsthand what it was like to receive care from the midwives in the NHS. We were traversing unknown territory as we took on one element of culture shock after another, finally understanding the depth of the word shock in the phrase. This particular aspect of it, though not something exactly discussed in the books we read and courses we took, would bring unexpected healing. Fresh anxiety latched itself onto me in fear of the unknown. I watched every season of Call the Midwife, trying to immerse myself into this world in whatever way I could (even if I felt a bit silly at times) as I was innately craving the comforting tangibility of the known. Our appointments were at a centre about a mile from our home, on a narrow road full of terraced houses, a small school, and a beautiful green field at the end of the street. The details are things that I often cling to when I face anxiety, and they help me stay rooted in reality and spark a comforting recognition of truth. In many ways, they are a soothing balm, and I often find myself immersing myself in the details of my surroundings whenever waves of anxiety roll in. 

The midwives’ manner of treating me was very different from my experience in the States. They slowed down and made it clear their full attention was on me for as long as I needed. They never imposed decisions on me; they always asked or suggested things in regard to my individualised care. They were kind and warm and hands-off in the most liberating way. They also asked many questions about the differences in the States, and it was always a fascinating conversation. About halfway through the pregnancy, I saw the same midwife each time and grew very fond of her. She will always occupy a special place in our hearts.

A New Plan

Whenever I thought of our birth plan, I became more unsure about the only option being another C-Section. Our anomaly scan (anatomy scan in the U.S.) revealed that my placenta was out of the way this time, which was a huge relief. Not only that, but we were selected to take part in a trial on the day of my only hospital visit, which meant we had an OB doing our scan who could comment on specific things that an Ultrasound Technician wouldn’t have. She made it clear to us that if I wanted to give birth without having a C-Section, that was an option, and she encouraged us to think about it. 

I had been praying about it often, wondering what this birth would look like, surrendering it to God time and time again, but still feeling so uncertain. On a cold Spring day, as we walked to our midwife appointment, I had a vision of having a homebirth. It popped into my head quickly and vividly, and I knew I needed to pursue this further. At my appointment, my midwife asked if I had thought further about our birth plan. I hesitated, fumbled a bit over my words, and she stopped me and said, “What does your dream birth look like?” To that, I answered honestly that in my dream scenario, I would give birth in our home. She said gently, “You realise that is an option for you? Why don’t you pursue that?” I told her it had been suggested to me before that the safest route would be giving birth at the hospital or birthing centre, even if it wasn’t a C-Section. She said, “Yes, that is suggested, but ultimately, you are the mother, and you get to decide.” With that, I went home with confirmation that this was the path I was to take: a Home Birth After Caesarean, or HBAC.

Stay tuned for part II of this series in which I will share precisely how I prepared for giving birth at home following a C-Section.