What To Expect
If you’re wondering where to put your birth tub, watch these.
If you’re thinking about your birth plan and the idea of delivering at home sounds right for you, that opens up a whole slew of options for you to consider. Watching home birth videos and vlogs can help you decide exactly how you want your labor and delivery to go, and answer questions you didn’t even know you had.
Do you want to give birth in bed, in your bathtub, or in an inflatable birth tub? Do you want your older children there for some or all of the action? What about the rest of your space — should it be dimly lit with twinkly lights and music going, or totally normal, like any other day at home? Seeing how other parents set up their homes for their own births can help you decide exactly what you want too. You’ll also see how other couples manage contraction pain together, doing massage, hopping in the shower, or taking walks (before things get too intense, of course).
And then there’s the not-so-fun parts of planning a home birth, like making a backup plan in case you do require hospital care at some point. Checking out some home birth videos in which families go to the hospital can help you understand what that process looks like, and how those parents handle the change to their plans. No matter what, screening some of these vlogs will give you a ton of information about home births, and empower you to make the choices that feel best for you.
1
A positive home birth video
This vlog is short, sweet, and has zero talking to the camera. You’ll see glimpses of Mom in the tub and shower, laboring in bed, and getting lots of hugs and support from her partner and toddler.
2
A home birth video about water birth
Are you considering a water birth at home? This couple chose to have their first baby at home with no pain meds, with those final pushes happening in an inflatable birth tub. The pair also walk you through how they spent early labor (taking walks, showers, and resting up).
3
A home birth talk-through
From the first contraction to baby being born, this mom’s labor lasted just one and a half hours. You don’t see the birth itself (there probably wasn’t any time to capture it) but the vlogger, Jess, talks through everything afterward.
4
A sentimental home birth video
This mom shares the sweetest moments with her older children helping her partner prepare their room for birth and splashing in the birthing tub with her. She shares the little touches — specifically the smell of a favorite candle — that made her feel safe and confident as she prepared to push.
5
A simple, sweet home birth video
Here’s another peek at home birth without a ton of narration from the parents. You do get glimpses of their water birth setup, how the midwives examine the baby after birth, and Mom’s skin-to-skin time, which could all be helpful.
6
A fast-paced home birth
This video opens with baby’s big brother asking Mom’s belly, “Are you going to come out when Dad gets home?” So precious. Mom’s water breaks and her labor stalls, but picks back up again so quickly there’s no time to inflate the tub or call the midwife, so these parents deliver their baby safely on their own.
7
A home water birth vlog
This vlog has so much emotion, from Mom’s sadness that her toddler’s time as the only baby is coming to an end, to pushing out her baby like an absolute champion. Fair warning: you get a good look at the placenta being delivered.
8
An emotional home birth video
These parents are so sweet together as they work through 26 hours of labor at home. The mom spends some time in a birthing tub and pushing in lots of different positions, and you get to see some really cool techniques her midwives use to help her push.
9
A home birth turned elective C-section
If you’re thinking about a home birth, you’ll want to have a plan in case of emergency. These parents share their experience of their planned home birth turning into an elective C-section, with so much love and support from their friends and family sprinkled in.
10
A home birth video with an emergency ending
In this home birth vlog, Mom’s water breaks but her labor seems to stall out. You see her team of midwives try a few different things to get it moving again, but when the mother develops an infection, they have to head in to the hospital. They talk through the emotions around that change, and how it felt to go from home birth to C-section. (Everyone is happy and healthy in the end.)
However you envision your labor and delivery happening, and whether you’re expecting one baby or multiples, watching other parents’ home birth vlogs can show you a bit more about what to expect.
