Cape Town – Actress Jay Anstey has taken to her Instagram page to chronicle her story of choosing to birth her first child using the freebirth method.
Freebirth is the practice of women giving birth at home without a medical professional or midwife, but only surrounded by their family or partner.
Jay said she woke up in the early hours of a rainy morning “when my water had broken. Intense contractions began right away”.
She added: “We had an app that timed my contractions and SeanMarco along with my mom and dad started filling up the birth pool as they were rapidly getting closer together.
“It was me and SeanMarco in a pool.”
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“Breathing through each excruciating contraction. At some point my mom joined and sat at the base of the pool giving me support.”
After ten hours of contractions, she said her partner, SeanMarco, delivered their daughter into the world.
“His hands were the first to touch her and the only faces she looked upon were those of her family. She cried beautifully, we checked her vitals and she was happy and perfect. Everything I had wanted for her. Her perfect birth,” she said.
Three hours after the birth, she said she had to head to the hospital to remove the placenta surgically, as it delayed to come out.
“I wasn’t upset that I ended up in hospital because I gave our little one the birth she deserved.”
She said she would consider doing the method all over again, although, she doesn’t judge those who opt a different method.
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Picture: Twitter/ @jayanstey
Compiled by Odwa Shumi
