Then everybody took a breath. Tanya arrived and came into the bathroom in disbelief that I had already birthed the baby. Labour came hard and fast, and I endured. I was birth warrior.

It all begins with an idea.

At 5:25 p.m., Sunday January 25, 2009, we welcomed our baby, Gavin, into the world. He was a healthy 8 lb, 8 oz and 21 inches long. He was everything that I had imagined him to be and more. Still to this day I am in awe at the miracle of his birth and of him. I think back to his birth and although it was long and tiring, I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. It was my birth and I can’t think of anything more empowering in my life. I am very grateful for the medical team that attended Gavin’s birth. They were unbelievable supportive of me and played a huge part in helping me achieve the birth that I wanted.

In each experience I learned something new about pregnancy, about birth, about babies, about myself and my capabilities, about life. I have had 1 cesarean section, 2 home births after a cesarean, and one hospital birth after a cesarean.