Now that I have officially given birth to my second baby (full birth story to come soon!), I felt called to share with you all how we created a natural and calm birthing space at home and at the hospital.

I have given birth at both the hospital and at home, and with both births, my focus was on creating a really calm, quiet and natural birth space that supported me to get into the primal state that is needed for a woman to bring a baby into the world.

With my first birth, I had a full birth plan mapped out on an excel spreadsheet. Actually, I had a birth plan for myself, for my husband and for my midwife with all different points to consider. With my second birth, my birth plan to my midwife was verbal and very simple: “I just want it to be as calm as possible with minimal interventions”. Because I had made so many decisions for the first birth (so many that an excel spreadsheet was required!), I knew that with my second birth all those decisions remained the same.

For our first birth, we chose the hospital setting as it worked logistically with where we were living but we also knew that we wanted to create a really calm birth space inside this setting. We completed a local hypnobirthing course here in Wanaka which inspired our path further to create a space that would support the natural birth we were planning for.

For the birthing environment, both at home and the hospital, we specifically wanted:

• Dimmed lights - at the hospital, as soon as we arrived, Mark my husband turned the lights off completely in our birthing room. At home, the lights were off from the start.

• Birth affirmations - at the hospital, we had birth affirmations from our hypnobirthing educator playing on repeat. At home, we had birth affirmations on display.

• Music playing - at the hospital, the affirmations became our radio station. At home, Mark asked me if I’d like music (I had a gentle birth playlist lined up) but it was immediately a ‘no’ from me so I listened to that guidance.

• Minimal humans - at the hospital, we asked for only our midwife to be present to avoid having unnecessary interruptions or background conversations that could interfere with my progress. At home, things progressed so quickly that there wasn’t time for interference!

The reasoning behind each decision was in an effort to create a birthing space that was a quiet, calm, low stimulation space. We knew that this would give us our best opportunity to get into the birth zone and mindset needed to bring a baby into the world naturally.

The other birth preferences we had were (straight from the birth plan spreadsheet!):

• We would like to use natural induction methods only until 42 weeks, unless there is a medical emergency.

• We would prefer no time limits be placed on Jess if the baby and her are doing well.

• We would prefer for Jess's membranes to remain intact until they release naturally.

• We would prefer minimal vaginal exams.

• We would prefer not to have analgesics offered at any stage. We are hoping for a medication free birth and Jess will ask for something if she changes her mind.

• We would prefer the opportunity to allow for our baby to emerge physiologically according to the Natural Expulsive Reflex and to follow the prompts of my own body through birth breathing and bearing down.

• We would prefer not to have an episiotomy unless medically necessary.

• I would like to be free to move and choose labour and birthing positions that feel right for me and to avoid birthing on my back.

• When our baby is born, if possible, one parent to receive baby and only gentle wiping or drying of our baby - we understand that vernix is beneficial for their skin. Please discuss any standard procedures that are performed on our baby before they occur.

• If my labour has been undisturbed, I would prefer a natural birth of the placenta and request up to 60 minutes for this process.

• We would like to delay the cord clamping and wait until the cord has stopped pulsating before the cord is cut. We would prefer to have a thread around cord instead of clamp.

• We would love 1-2 hours of uninterrupted bonding time skin-to-skin after the birth. If possible, baby to remain with Jess and/or Mark at all times. All baby exams to please be delayed for this time. For the home birth, I asked the midwife to not only delay all baby exams, but also to complete them with baby still on me.

• We'd love your patience while we give our baby the opportunity to do the breast crawl and self-attach.

No matter where you plan to birth, or where you end up birthing (as baby sometimes can have alternative plans!), I invite you to tune into what feels aligned for you with your birth choices. Where will you feel most comfortable? Most at ease? What is important for you? For your baby? What do you want those first moments to feel like? To be remembered by? How can you bring more calm to your birth? How can you move from love and not fear?

Trusting in your body and in yourself during birth is one of the most powerful and potent acts of self-trust a woman can do.