Latest news with #homebirth
CNA
2 days ago
- General
- CNA
'Magical, intimate, special': Why this mum chose to deliver her two babies at home
Jiezhen Wu was about 20 weeks into her first pregnancy when she decided she did not want to give birth in the hospital. She and her husband were then renting a place in California, in the United States, after completing her master's degree. It was end-2020 and the world was still deep in COVID-19. Hospitals were overflowing with patients, and everyone remained anxious and preoccupied with the pandemic. The conditions had Wu, then 31 years old, having second thoughts about giving birth in hospital, where appointments felt rushed and impersonal. Once she was given the green light by her gynaecologist for a home birth – with the help of an experienced midwife – she didn't look back. 'I'm sure there was more to birthing than what I had initially thought,' Wu said. She recalled how, years earlier, before marrying her husband Jared Kong in 2017, a friend had described the experience of giving birth to her baby as 'beautiful and amazing'. 'When I heard that, I was genuinely puzzled. Could birth ever be amazing? I only thought it was scary, bloody and painful,' she said. But her friend insisted so, and that was when Wu found out about birthing centres, facilities designed to offer a more home-like environment than hospitals. Staffed by midwives and obstetrician-gynaecologists (ob-gyns), these centres support both mothers in labour and new mums, offering guided prenatal exercises, nutritious meals and the support of doulas and birth coaches. The centres allowed women to bring their children into the world in a 'more comfortable, gentle, empowering way', surrounded by people who mattered to them. When Wu got pregnant in 2020, she and her husband wanted the birth of their child to feel intentional and purposeful, which led them to decide on a home birth. GIVING BIRTH SURROUNDED BY HER LOVED ONES When Wu first brought up the idea of a home birth, both Kong and her parents, who were in Singapore, were concerned. 'People would ask me if home birth was really a thing, if it was safe, and whether I'd thought it through properly,' the 36-year-old leadership coach said. To her, these questions made sense. 'But the more Jared learned about home birth, and the more we explained the process to my parents, the more it started to make sense for all of us,' Wu added. The couple spoke with friends who had done home births or given birth at birthing centres. Everyone described the experience in the same way: Gentle, intentional, purposeful and beautiful. These were exactly the qualities Wu hoped for when it was her turn to give birth. In the lead-up to her estimated due date, she did what she could to prepare her body. She went for frequent walks, did Kegel exercises and ate nutritious meals to ensure she had the strength and energy for labour. When labour began, Wu and her husband were in their cosy apartment. With them was a birthing team of an experienced midwife and her assistant. Though the space was small, Wu felt enveloped with love. The environment was warm and calming, filled with familiar scents that helped her relax. There were no 'anxiety-inducing noises' or anyone insisting she deviate from her decision not to use pain relief. She felt safe and powerful, she said. 'The best part was that Jared was with me the whole time,' Wu added. He massaged her, held her and stayed by her side through every contraction. 'I remember Jared sitting with his arms around me, and watching my birthing team hold space as I brought our daughter into the world. I pushed in this position for about half an hour. I was focused and using my breath to bring the baby down.' Then, it happened. 'I felt her head emerge, and with the next push, our midwife said, 'Here comes your baby!' and caught our daughter Juniper, placing her in my arms. She was so beautiful. Jared started crying and we both kept saying, 'Hi, baby!'' NO OTHER BIRTH PLAN FELT AS POWERFUL Her first home birth was so empowering that when Wu became pregnant with her second baby in 2024, this time back in Singapore, she knew she wanted to do it again. Around the 20-week mark, when she had a detailed scan of her foetus, she shared her birth plan with her ob-gyn, who was supportive. In case of a medical emergency, she would be able to head to the hospital by ambulance and have an ob-gyn on standby to receive her and the baby. Wu also engaged the services of a birth team, who supported her throughout her pregnancy, the birth and the postpartum period. This second experience was especially exciting to Wu because it would involve not only her husband, but her parents, and Juniper, then three years old. 'I considered giving birth at our new home, but after thinking it through, I decided I wanted to give birth somewhere that already held meaning for me. So I chose to give birth to my second child at my parents' home, where I grew up,' she said. She also wanted Juniper to witness her sibling's arrival. 'I wanted to make sure Juniper was there to see her sibling come into the world,' she said. Wu had taken her daughter along to some of the medical check-ups, where Juniper could see her sibling grow and listen to the baby's heartbeat inside her mother. Wu also had photos and a video of Juniper's birth, which the little girl loved watching. 'Juniper was so in tune with the whole thing, so in awe of the birth process. She loves watching the video and photos of her coming into the world. I could sense that she, too, was excited to see her sibling arrive. It made her feel involved as the older sister,' Wu said. At the 20-week scan, Wu laughed as she recalled how Juniper excitedly pointed out the baby's gender, thrilled to learn she was going to have a brother. Wu added: 'A home birth would allow her to see her brother arrive in a space where we were all together as a family – comfortable, calm, unrushed – taking our time to connect quietly and peacefully, both with the baby and with each other.' TRUSTING HER BODY TO DO WHAT IT NEEDED TO DO When the day arrived, Wu was at her parents' home with her husband, daughter, parents, doula and a birth photographer. Compared to the 18 hours of labour she went through with her first, her second took four hours. 'With my second-born, I was a lot more confident,' Wu said. 'And at some points, I even felt like I wanted to be alone so that I could just focus on birthing – I was grateful that my loved ones gave me the space and were there when I really needed them to be.' Both times, Wu never once felt that giving birth at home was impossible, or that she 'couldn't do this'. This surprised her, especially at first. While she knew a home birth was the route she wanted to take, she was still nervous about whether she was capable of it. 'Through the home births I went through, I followed my instincts, learned to trust my body, and do what I believe it was designed to do,' Wu said. She said both experiences taught her to 'lean into discomfort' and trust that her body knew what it was doing to bring life into the world. 'I felt so safe and loved. It was magical, intimate and special, and every wave of powerful sensation – even when it was painful – felt purposeful.' 'I'm so thankful I got to go through a home birth for both my daughter and my son,' Wu said. 'Both Juniper and Jazper gave me the strength I never knew I had. Both times were exactly how I dreamed of bringing my children into the world – in a space filled with love, warmth, courage and support.'
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Jools Holland, 67, announces he's a grandfather again to a 'brand new beautiful baby boy'
Jools Holland announced on Sunday that he has welcomed a 'beautiful' new grandson. The pianist and band leader, 67, shared the happy news on Instagram with a sweet picture of his finger being held by the new addition. He then took the opportunity to praise his daughter Mabel for the delivery of the baby boy during a home birth. Jools wrote: 'It's wonderful to be a grandfather again to a brand new beautiful baby boy. 'Very proud of my daughter, Mabel, and extremely grateful to the midwives from Homerton Home Birth Team for supporting his delivery.' The star has largely kept his family out of the spotlight and has not shared the baby's name. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. Jools revealed in a previous interview with the MailOnline that his other grandchild is also a boy named Gabriel. The star's celebrity friends were quick to flood the sweet image with supportive comments. Kim Cattrall wrote: 'How wonderful Jools and Christabel! Congrats to all but especially to Mabel for a job well done!!!' Sally Philips added: 'Congratulations to you all. What a beautiful pic x' KT Tunstall wrote: 'Huge congrats Hollandsss!!' Alex Kapranos similarly added: 'Congratulations. New life. The most beautiful experience.' Jools now has two known grandchildren, having previously Gabriel to the MailOnline as a 'quiet and chubby and a lovely little boy'. Jools previously opened up about his family in an interview with the Guardian, explaining that all three of his children - Mabel, Rosie and George - were brought up to share his love of music. The star has largely kept his family out of the spotlight and has not shared the new baby's name Explaining that he was raised partially by his grandparents after his parents split, Jools said he learned the importance of family values. He said: 'My upbringing taught me the pleasures of sociability; I grew up observing people. 'That's been very useful in my work because you have to get on with lots of different types when you're on the road. 'As a bandleader, I try to pass on the same family values that I grew up with: help people, hang on to your sense of humour, be tolerant and keep your judgments to yourself.' Jools shares his daughter Mabel with wife Christabel McEwen, who he married in 2005 after a 15-year relationship.
BBC News
6 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Shropshire hospital trust launches dedicated home birth team
A dedicated home birth service has been launched by a Shropshire NHS trust. Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SaTH) announced that a team of seven midwives will provide 24-hour care to women and their families in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, and Mid Wales who choose to give birth at who opt to use the service will have a named midwife who will provide their antenatal and postnatal care. Tasha Simmons from SaTh said although the trust already offered home births, the dedicated team meant "greater personalised care" could be provided. "Families will get to know our team throughout pregnancy, and their experience will centre on collaborative decision-making and on birth preferences being safely supported."The trust said two midwives, including at least one from the new team wherever possible, would attend during labour. Paula Gardener, interim chief nursing officer, added: "Having a dedicated team of midwives ready to support the birth preferences of families in our communities means continuity of care and an opportunity for strong and trusting relationships to be forged". Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
22-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Bedford hospital home birth team to close
A hospital has said a woman's choice to have a home birth "is not affected" by the closure of its dedicated home birthing Hospital announced on Wednesday that home births would be overseen by its community midwifery team, rather than by its Blossom hospital trust in charge, which covers Bedfordshire and Luton, had said there were "significant staffing challenges".Alex McCarthy from Kempston said her recent home birth with the Blossom team was "amazing" and she felt "really sad" about the change of system. She described how her midwife arrived at 20:30 and her boy was born just under three hours later."I had the same midwife from that very first appointment and she was there to deliver the baby," she said."It was the relationship with that amazing home birth midwife that was a pivotal part of that experience for me – it put me into such a relaxed and safe mindset."She said she was worried that other parents would not benefit from a "bond and support" from the same midwife through to delivery."I think it's a real shame and disappointing," said Ms McCarthy."With the community midwives, you still have that medical care and assistance, but you don't know on a personal level who's going to walk through that door to support you at that most vulnerable stage of your life." 'High quality' Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said it planned to carry on with some "key elements" of the Blossom team."Whilst we acknowledge there may be circumstances when it is not always possible for a woman [or] birthing person to have the same midwife, we do plan to have a named midwife throughout their pregnancy and birth, to help with continuity of care," the trust said."People who choose to give birth at home will still receive personalised, high-quality care from our community midwives."We want to reassure everyone that this change will not affect the standard of care or the support our service users receive throughout their pregnancy and birth journey." Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Lee County dispatchers, Sublette first responders help save baby's life during delivery
May 17—SUBLETTE — Two Lee County 911 dispatchers and four Sublette fire crew members were awarded by Mercyhealth on Thursday for their lifesaving actions that led to a successful home birth. "It's a miracle of life right before our eyes," Lee County 911 Director Shelley Dallas said at Thursday's award ceremony. ExpandAutoplay Image 1 of 5 Lee County 911 Dispatchers Kelly Boos (left) and Jesica Knipple meet Ryan and Cheyenne Edwards Thursday, May 15, 2025, at the Sublette Fire Department. Boos and Knipple talked Ryan through unwrapping the umbilical cord as his wife was giving birth to son Wilder. (Alex T. Paschal) The night of April 28, Ryan and Cheyenne Edwards of Sublette were at home with their daughters Atley, 2, and River, 4, when Cheyenne — who was 35 weeks pregnant — started going into labor. At 11:35 p.m., Ryan called 911 and said "the baby is coming out right now," Dallas said. When the child's head came out, the umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck. Ryan told the dispatcher, "He's not moving. He's struggling and turning purple," and the dispatcher gave him instructions for how to remove the cord, Dallas said. A short time later, Ryan said, "He's out. He's crying. ... He's completely out, and he's opening his eyes," Dallas said. At Thursday's event, Lee County 911 dispatcher Kelly Boos said, "It was just this huge flood of relief hearing him and knowing that he was OK." The family, along with their new addition, baby Wilder, attended the event where Dr. John Pakiela of Mercyhealth in Rockford handed out six stork pins to those involved. They included Lee County 911 dispatchers Boos and Jesica Knipple, and from the Sublette Fire Protection District, Assistant Chief Nick Dinges, EMS Capt. Mary Ehlers, firefighter/paramedic Jennifer Stampfler and first responder Roger Wittenauer. Wittenauer immediately went to the scene and helped with the stimulation process, Dinges said. Sublette Fire Chief Kevin Schulz said his crew's response "makes me proud" — specifically when you think about the chain of survival in rural communities. First responders face different challenges in rural areas, such as further travel times, fewer resources and the potential for more complex medical scenarios. April's event was one of them. It's "very rare, and we had a great outcome," Dinges said. He said Sublette fire has never had an in-field delivery as far as he knows, and Dallas said that it also was a first for Lee County 911.
