Today we’re chatting with Kaitlin McGreyes about the birth of her 3rd child, which was her first home birth. After a cesarean and then a hospital VBAC for her first two births, she decided to have a different experience for her third.

Kaitlin was a doula for 2 years before her home birth. And interesting fact: in the beginning of her doula work, she was against home birth. We talk about the shifts in her thoughts about home birth and the reasons for having one for herself. 

Plus really awesome conversations around the landscape of the birth world in general, and what she and her company Be Her Village are doing to help parents and families in getting the real support they need (like funding for their care provider, postpartum practitioners, mental health resources, etc.) as opposed to a bunch of extra toys and gear that they might not necessarily need. 

From Kaitlin:

“I had been a doula for 2 years. I had a cesarean for my first, vbac in hospital with my second (unmedicated) and I opted for a home birth for my third baby. I was expecting the birth to be EXACTLY like my vbac labor. and it was in terms of timing and how it started. Both started at 6am while I was in bed with small Braxton hicks that had a pinch at the peak. That's where the similarities ended. My 21 hour vbac was gentle and peaceful and spiritual. My home birth was moving faster than I expected. My midwife only made it because she was smart enough to come without me asking. And in under 6 hours I went from maybe being in labor to roaring my baby out in a half filled birth pool. I experienced FER and instead of pushing her out I was holding her back so I didn't tear. Unlike what you see on YouTube our home birth involved both of us screaming lol. It was fast and furious, much like my daughter.”

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