Midwife Support, Home Birth in Galway, Ireland

I’d say that I am finally ready to share our experience but truthfully between feedings, nappy changes, tummy time, and chasing a wild, wonderful toddler around I have only just found the time to sit down and write it out.

We chose home birth for our second baby in response to the uncertainties and unfair regulations being enforced on birthing persons and their birth partners during the Covid pandemic.

As we explored our options we were connected by private midwives with Anne Bargh, the local midwife in our region. Anne had me sold that home birth was the option for me within the first few minutes of our conversation and helped my partner, James feel safe in our decision to birth our second baby at home.

We quickly settled into Anne’s routine weekly visits and she became like a member of the family. Our toddler would excitedly wait by the window for Anne to pull up and was eager to help her listen for the baby’s heart beat and play with Anne while she was here.

Going overdue was not new to me. Being induced at 9 days with my first little boy had me prepared to hurry up and wait for this baby. Anne helped James and I to feel empowered enough in our own research and her previous experience to carry our baby 42 weeks until he came fast and furiously when he was “good and ready”!

In a time where there are so many uncertainties, especially surrounding maternity services, we were privileged to have Anne on our side. Not only did we get to welcome Oliver earthside in a birth we could only have dreamed of (and with his brother there), we also felt educated, empowered, and in control of the decisions we made. And the cherry on top…we got to settle naturally into life as a family of four.