BIRTH WITHOUT FEAR.

I was lucky enough to spend a long afternoon last week with Charlie, watching her deliver her kittens. It was really amazing to sit with her, rubbing her belly through her contractions as she purred and, after a few minutes, popped out her first little one. She speedily cleaned off the kitten (and ate the placenta!) before moving into a nearby basket to make a nest. Over the next few hours, two more kittens arrived, and a fourth came during the night.As strange as it may sound, this was a very empowering experience for me. Watching Charlie purr through her birth is an image I know I will be drawing upon come December. Charlie didn't read any books or take any breathing classes. She didn't have years worth of visuals to draw upon, images of what a birth is "supposed" to look like. Nobody ever told her what she was supposed to do. But she gave birth - and although I know it was a little bit uncomfortable at times - she was never afraid.Jesse and I are planning a homebirth for our own little. Our midwife, Tracey, also delivered all these other wild and wonderful Bugtussle children, so it only seems fitting. But more than that - we believe strongly in the midwifery model of care. Tracey says it like this...Medical care is fear based, and midwifery is faith based. I think that pregnancy and birth are natural and healthy, not medical conditions. I believe in my body and my midwives and my husband  and my faith to carry me through childbirth.I will also add that we are absolutely not against heading to the hospital, should the need arise! In fact, we are trying to be prepared for this possibility, just in case things don't turn out as we hope. But I have confidence in our birth plan, and I know that in her own small way, Charlie helped me to gain some of that confidence last week.- Hannah.