GIVING birth to her first child at the hospital was never on the cards for Naomi. A trained doula, she already knew how to conduct a home birth and said the recent death of her mother plus the disproportionately high mortality rates of expectant black mothers - meant another hospital visit would be 'triggering!
Instead, she welcomed her son submerged in a rented pool in the living room of her home in Moss Side. "My son was born at home; after the birth everyone left, we had a shower, we cleared the placenta because it was still attached and then we went to bed," said the 39-year-old.
"It was so empowering to have control over what happens next. Being able to go to sleep in my own home and being able to wake up with a new baby, it was a beautiful experience." "I'd say I supported my own birth rather than delivered my own baby," she joked.
"There were still midwives there and the father of my son, my sister and my grandmother. But I was very adamant about how I wanted it."
This story is from the December 31, 2023 edition of MEN on Sunday.
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This story is from the December 31, 2023 edition of MEN on Sunday.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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