A proud mum has described her home birth experience as “everything I wanted” supported by Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust’s maternity service and community midwives.

Painter and decorator Amy, 30 and her partner, carpenter Robert, 31 welcomed their baby boy Jax Leo-James Reid, weighing 7lb 2oz, into the world on 22 March.

Their new arrival joins Amy’s 12 year old daughter Amelia.

The couple, from Walsall, have agreed to share their “perfect” home birthing experience.

She said: “Prior to the day of birth I prepared my body and mind with hypnobirthing throughout most of my pregnancy which all came into play on the day. At roughly 11pm I started getting a few twinges which I recognised from my previous labour and knew this was the day. I did all my breathing techniques for about one hour labouring on my own in the bathroom with a swinging hip motion to help baby down.

“Soon after I let my partner know that our baby was on his way into the world. My next step was to ring my sister who was my other birthing partner/doula. Once she arrived we started to prepare the bedroom with protective covers on the bed and a yoga mat on the floor to create a calming atmosphere. We had dim lighting, candles, meditation and affirmations for labour playing the whole way through.

“As this was all happening my surges (contractions) were getting stronger. I was using all my breathing and staying calm. At this stage the midwives were called by my sister to make their way to the house.

“Between my birthing family they were all filling me with positivity and my sister never left my side, she was my go to as my surges approached. My partner, daughter, sister and mum who had not long arrived were all helping me through. As we waited for my partner’s mum and midwives to arrive we all stayed very calm and peaceful in the moment. This was now around 1am on Tuesday 22 March (we think he was waiting to be an Aries baby like this dad).

“Midwives had now arrived and were two lovely ladies – Tracy with the nice eyes and Breda with the big personality. They got straight to it, introducing themselves and letting us know the steps they were going to take.

“Tracy asked if I was happy for her to listen into baby which I was more than happy for her to do. As I leant on my birth ball she got baby’s heartbeat and he was doing fine. Tracy wanted to know how dilated I was which may have come as a surprise to some as I was 7cm with a very thin cervix and baby was very low down. It wasn’t going to be long at all.

“Once I was back in my best position (on all fours) my surges became more intense and I could feel the baby getting lower and lower and I asked for gas and air which Breda had already got ready. Tracy was setting up all the equipment that may have been needed for baby and me. The gas and air helped me through my next few surges as I felt the need to bear down. I then told everyone I was ready to push!

“As I allowed my body to do what it needed to do my baby’s head was born at 1.52am and my sister was the first to touch him. With my sister holding me one side and Breda doing her job on the other and a final push my ‘little man cub’ arrived into this world at 1.54am with a healthy, loud cry.

“The happiness felt in that moment I will never forget. I got to hold my baby in my arms in my bedroom in my house. It was everything and more I set out for it to be. As we got to be in a blissful moment both midwives did all the jobs they needed to do from guiding me to the toilet to all checks on the baby; every moment was just perfect. There were laughs, smiles, cups of teas exchanged and photos and videos taken of the new arrival.

“It was everything I wanted. I couldn’t thank both midwives enough for allowing me to birth my baby in a calm environment.”