Instinctual Motherhood | March 24, 2025
Theodore’s Home Birth Story: An Unforgettable First Birth Experience
Anytime anyone hears I’ve had a home birth—not once, but twice—they think I’m either crazy or some sort of superwoman. That couldn’t be further from the truth. I’m not extraordinary, but I did take the time to carefully plan my birth, research my options, and hire a birth team that made me feel supported and empowered.
My decision to have a home birth stemmed from this one simple thought – “If they can do it, why can’t I.”
I’ve always had the mindset of ‘If they can do it, why can’t I?’ Being an athlete, I’ve never believed that anyone is extraordinary simply because they did something I couldn’t. I thought, if they can do it, so can I.
This mindset led me to home birth, and today, I’m sharing my full home birth story of my firstborn, Theodore—for the first time ever.
Literally not even my mom has heard this story in full.
But my hope with sharing this story is that I can be that inspiration for another mom out there who may be exploring their options and maybe doesn’t have an empowering home birth story to reference to see the art of the possible. I want another mom to be to hear this episode and think, if she can do it, why can’t I.
Let’s start with finding out I was pregnant with Theodore.
Finding Out I Was Pregnant
Let’s talk about finding out I was pregnant. I’ll be honest—this pregnancy was not planned. Life was WAY too busy to even think about a baby. We had just gotten engaged in December 2021, picked a wedding venue in January, and I had just bought my dress in February. A baby? Not exactly on the agenda amidst all of that.
But in April 2022, I was late. Just two days, which I know doesn’t sound like a big deal. But, for someone who tracks their cycle down to the hour, I knew something was up. I was in Austin shopping for bridesmaid dresses for my wedding when I casually mentioned this to my best friend. She replied with, “Do you think you’re pregnant?” I laughed it off—only to take a test the next day and see two dark pink lines staring back at me.
Cue the panic, the tears, and the moment of telling my fiancé with absolutely zero Pinterest-worthy creativity. His response? “Well… shit just keeps piling on, huh?”
He wasn’t wrong, we had all of the wedding planning plus trying to find a new house to buy or rent because our rental term was ending. Life was just chaos.
We laughed. We hugged. We cried. And from that moment on, we knew we were stepping into a whole new season of life.
I think most people think because I knew I wanted a home birth, I never did any of the “normal things” women do for birth, but that isn’t quite true.
The Decision to Have a Home Birth
At first, I went to an OBGYN for a confirmation ultrasound—mainly because I wanted those cute little pictures to surprise my family. But I knew even before walking into that appointment, I wasn’t going back. I had heard about the beauty of home birth from women I trusted, and something inside me told me it was the right choice.
But I also know that for most women, home birth isn’t even on their radar. Maybe you’ve been told it’s dangerous, unbearably painful, or reckless. That’s exactly why I’m sharing my story—because birth doesn’t have to be something to fear. It can be powerful, peaceful, and fully in your control when you choose the right environment and support team.
While I knew always knew home birth was my plan, I know that isn’t always the case. I want to take a second to walk through how I did my birth plan to help break down some of the overwhelm.
Creating My Birth Plan
Birth planning can feel overwhelming, so I started with the big decisions first:
✅ Where? Home birth was my first decision. I wanted to be in my own space, surrounded by people I trusted.
✅ Who? I researched and interviewed home birth midwives until I found the one that aligned with my values
✅ What? I didn’t really know what was most important to me yet. However, water birth was my top preference. I loved the idea of laboring in warm water, letting my body relax naturally.
And here’s the truth—I didn’t have everything figured out from day one. I was still researching things like newborn procedures and circumcision as I went. And that’s okay. You don’t have to have all the answers before your birth plan is “final.” You just need to give yourself time and space to explore your options.
(P.S. Want to learn the 3 most important decisions for your birth plan? Check out Episode #002 where I break it all down!)
The Birth Story of Theodore
December 6th | 39 weeks, 5 days
I was making dinner when I felt the first twinges of cramping. I brushed it off. My midwife and doula had prepared me to go at least 41 weeks, so I didn’t think much of it.
But by 8:30 PM, I couldn’t lay down comfortably. Contractions were intensifying fast. I texted my fiancé: “Bring my birth ball upstairs. I need to move.”
10 PM We alerted our birth team that labor had started and they recommended I get in the tub to try and slow things down. Well things definitely did not slow down and we were already approaching transition, although I didn’t know it at the time.
Transition hit hard. I threw up in the tub (a classic transition sign) and our team realized how fast things were moving and started to make their way to the house.
When I got out of the tub my fiance tried to use a tens unit to help alleviate intense back labor I was having, when it wasn’t working and he tried to turn it off, he turned it all the way up. I still don’t forgive him for that one.
By 11 PM, my doula arrived and told my fiancé to call the midwife and start filling up the birth tub. She got me onto all fours on the bed to try and slow labor down to allow for our midwife to arrive.
My husband panicked. He accidentally called my parents while trying to call my midwife. They called back at 1 AM, and he casually told them, “She’s just in labor.” Sir, I was about to push out a human of my vagina.
By 12:30 AM, my midwife walked in, took one look at me, and told him to, “Stop filling the tub. This baby is coming.”
Somewhere between 12:30 and 2 AM my midwife recommended I switch positions to get baby out quicker. She recommended I move into a squat, to which my answer was “HELL NO”
My son was born en caul. At 2:40 AM, Theodore entered the world still inside his sac—something that only happens in 1 in 80,000 births.
Despite my original birth plan, I never made it into the birth tub. I delivered sitting with my husband sitting behind me. And I truthfully didn’t care.
Labor is a weird time portal. One minute, it was 12:30 AM. The next, it was 2:40 AM. My son was here. And my entire world shifted in an instant.
After Birth: Why I Fell in Love With Home Birth
The moment Theodore was born, he was placed directly on my chest, untouched, unbothered, and fully in my arms. There was no rush, no chaos, no bright hospital lights or loud beeping machines—just the quiet hum of our home, the beautiful ambiance of Christmas lights wrapped around our bedframe, the warmth of my husband’s hands, and the soft cries of my baby adjusting to the world.
I didn’t have to fight for delayed cord clamping. My midwife simply waited. I didn’t have to demand uninterrupted skin-to-skin. It was just expected. There was no rush for my baby to latch. It just happened and my midwife and doula assisted. Every choice I had made in my birth plan unfolded naturally, without resistance, without pushback.
I was already in my own bed. There was no getting baby in a car seat to go home. My baby just stayed on my chest. My midwife and doula cleaned up everything—by the time they left, it looked like nothing had ever happened. Except, of course, for the brand-new life now sleeping on me me.
Home birth gave me the peace, the autonomy, and the immediate postpartum experience I had always dreamed of and wanted but never knew was possible. And that’s why I’d choose it again and again and I’ll tell any woman who is willing to listen.
Final Thoughts & Encouragement
Birth is beautifully unpredictable when you let it happen as nature intended. My story didn’t go exactly as I planned, it was WAY faster than I prepared for, I , I didn’t get the water birth I hoped for but it was still empowering, raw, and beautiful in ways I never could have imagined.
Here’s the thing about planning for birth. It is not about trying to control every little thing that happens during birth, but rather who you become in the process of learning your options and becoming more confident in the decisions that you make for birth.
If you’re considering a home birth—or just want to explore your options—know this: you have choices. And you deserve to birth in a way that makes you feel safe, supported, and in control. And your feeling of safe may look the exact opposite of me, and that is perfectly ok. Thank god we live in a world and a time where you have options on how you want to bring your baby into this world. Birth is hard no matter which route you choose, so make sure you are choosing one that you feel empowered by and supported in.
I don’t think I’m special—just someone with a mindset of ‘If she can do it, why can’t I?’ If you’re exploring birth options, I hope my story empowers you to explore home birth. If just one mom is inspired to take a chance on her options, then I’ve done my job with this episode.
Want help creating your own empowered birth plan or need 1:1 coaching for your journey? I’m now offering coaching opportunities and would love to support you. Book your call at instinctualmotherhood.com/work-with-me!
Resources Mentioned in Today's Episode
- Episode #002: The 3 Most Important Decisions for Your Birth Plan
- FREE Birth Plan Research Guide
- Instinctual Motherhood Coaching