Warning: Contains Images And Footage Of Childbirth
April Wild’s third pregnancy wasn’t traditional: it was a free birth, in a pool, with her four-year-old daughter by her side.
The mum-of-three had her first child in hospital and her second at home. For her third, she had a very clear idea of what she wanted.
‘For me I just wanted my husband, family, a photographer and a doula,’ she told The Huffington Post. Now, thanks to her account and Badass Birth Photography, we’re able to glean an invaluable, further insight into the miracle of life.
You can see April’s free birth below (warning: graphic content):
Prior to giving birth, April had been doing her research. As a teacher of hypnobirthing and pregnancy yoga, she believes in ‘the power of visualisation’. The key thing, above all else, was to ‘be in a calm environment with people around who make me feel safe’.
A free birth is childbirth at home or elsewhere without the presence or assistance of a healthcare professional – it is legal in the UK and is becoming increasingly popular in the US.
At 41 weeks, this was the latest April had gone into labour in all of her pregnancies. When she woke up with surges on and off, she had a feeling that was the day. Hypnobirthing, a long walk and an afternoon of resting later, the surges grew more consistent – it was time.
April wrote as part of the HuffPost Birth Diaries:
When the doula and photographer turned up, I don’t think they could believe how far along I was because I looked so calm… My husband, meanwhile, kept reminding me to be present with my breath. We were all laughing and chatting normally as the pool was being filled up.
And the kids loved coming in and out – my little girl even had her own birthing ball and copied everything I was doing.
By 8pm, the labour intensified. Luckily, April had someone there to help her through.
April explained:
I got in the pool and my little girl pottered in. ‘I want to come in, Mummy. I’ll go get my swimming costume!’ she declared. She put cold flannels on my back, which was where I felt discomfort the most. She was the best birth partner I could’ve had.
While she doubted herself as the labour progressed, April breathed through it. Suddenly, she knew it was only going to be a matter of seconds – then, soon enough, she reached down and her son’s head was there.
April added:
It was such a beautiful experience. I held him under water – my daughter watching – before pulling him up onto my chest.
I’ve never felt so in control, even though I was doing it on my own. I just felt so sure everything was going to be okay. We had a beautiful bonding experience in the water and I was so proud of what my body had achieved.
If you would like to find out more about Badass Birth Photography, click here, or you can visit their Facebook and Instagram.
If you have a story you want to tell, send it to UNILAD via story@unilad.com
After graduating from Glasgow Caledonian University with an NCTJ and BCTJ-accredited Multimedia Journalism degree, Cameron ventured into the world of print journalism at The National, while also working as a freelance film journalist on the side, becoming an accredited Rotten Tomatoes critic in the process. He’s now left his Scottish homelands and took up residence at UNILAD as a journalist.