This is a bit of a combined birth story of my last two deliveries at the Natural BirthHouse—but really, it feels like a story about how the BirthHouse became home for our family.

For some backstory, I delivered my first two daughters in the hospital. I was always interested in the BirthHouse and even went on a tour during my second pregnancy, but the fear of not being able to go without an epidural kept me choosing the hospital setting.

Well, my second delivery ended up being without an epidural, and one of my very first thoughts afterward was, “I’m going to the BirthHouse next time!”

Flash forward a few years and I was pregnant with our first son, Joseph, and preparing to deliver at the BirthHouse in January of 2024. The entire experience, from my first appointment to my delivery, could be summed up in a few words:

Every time I stepped into the BirthHouse, it felt like I was entering a space that felt like home, with people who felt like family.

The last couple of weeks of Joseph’s pregnancy, I remember being incredibly worried that I would end up with high blood pressure. Both of my daughters had been induced because of high blood pressure right at the end of my pregnancies, and I desperately did not want a repeat of that.

But every time I went in for an appointment, my blood pressure stayed perfectly normal—never even slightly elevated. To this day, a part of me feels like some of that had to do with entering a space that kept me calm and made me feel at home.

Forty weeks came and went, and I was VERY ready to meet this baby boy.

Even though this was my third baby, this was the first time I got to go into labor completely on my own. Since I had never waited for labor to start before, I was hyper-aware of every Braxton Hicks contraction and every little change. I informed my doula quite a few times that, “This might be it.”

On the Saturday that I hit 40 weeks and 6 days, I had been having contractions throughout the afternoon. But because I had already had so many false alarms, I convinced myself it wasn’t real.

It wasn’t until my husband finished cooking dinner and I sat down to eat that I realized I couldn’t even sit through the contractions.

Okay. This was real.

My parents picked up our kids, and we headed to the BirthHouse.

If you were writing a book called How to Support Your Wife in Labor, I would dare to say my husband could be used as a reference.

This man lights up in the birth space.

What made it even more special was realizing that it wasn’t just me who was more comfortable and at peace delivering at the BirthHouse—it was him, too. His confidence in me and in the process was so evident, and having him fully present and confident made the entire experience even more beautiful.

I delivered Joseph at exactly 41 weeks.

It was smooth, beautiful, and exactly what we had hoped it would be.

I remember getting to go home just six hours later. As we both lay in our own bed at home, we looked at each other and let out a huge sigh of relief.

We were HOME.

And we were resting in our own bed just hours after welcoming our son into the world.

Another flash forward—but not the last.

Now we are in March of 2026, and I’m due with our fourth child and second boy, Russell.

As with the pregnancy before, the appointments felt like catching up with family. They remembered intimate details about my previous delivery. They knew not only me, but my husband Bennett, so well. And they cared about more than just me as a patient—they cared about my kids and our family as a whole.

Russell’s delivery was just as beautiful and smooth, but it happened a lot earlier than we expected!

Since Joseph had been born at 41 weeks, we were pretty shocked when I went into labor at 39 weeks. I denied it all night until I finally texted the midwife on-call line and said, “I think this is happening!”

Sure enough, it was happening.

And yet again, my husband, my doula, and the entire BirthHouse team knocked it out of the park.

When I look back at the photos from Russell’s delivery, I get emotional seeing the family that surrounded me with so much love and support.

Another beautiful, smooth, and peaceful delivery.

And then there was one little detail that felt like a wink from God.

Joseph was baby #63 born at the BirthHouse… Russell was baby #263!

Finally, the last flash forward.

It was July of 2026. My little Russell was four months old, and we found out we were expecting again.

Needless to say, we were surprised!

When I called the BirthHouse, I shared some of my worries—the exhaustion, the logistics, and just how overwhelmed I felt thinking about going through all of this again so soon.

I was worried about bringing my newborn to appointments. I was worried about how we were going to do this all over again.

And I was met with the most incredible support, understanding, and genuine love for our family.

I was immediately told:

“We got this.”

Now, at 14 weeks pregnant with our fifth little baby, I feel confident that we really do “got this.”

This birth story is still pending.

But as I sit here, I can’t help but think back to the very first time I said, “I’m going to the BirthHouse next time.”

I had no idea what that next delivery would lead me to.

It led me to a place where I didn’t just feel safe and supported as a mother, but where my husband felt at home, too. It led us to a community of people who know our family, remember our stories, celebrate our babies, and walk alongside us through each new chapter.

See y’all with a new story after March 2027!