Incredible: mum delivers baby unassisted at home and the Internet is loving it
Marissa Heckles had a pretty traumatic experience delivering her first baby.
"Three years ago as of September I delivered my daughter in a hospital drug free." she wrote on Facebook. "After a horrible experience being bullied about my birth plan and harassed throughout my labour, I decided to stay at home and deliver my son upon finding out I was pregnant."
Heckles continued to say that she wanted to do what she felt was right for her body and baby number two.
So she gave birth at home, with no medical intervention or support.
She says that her husband was supportive of her decision:
"My husband was very supportive the entire time as he respected my body and my choice to be in a stress free environment."
The pair decided against having a midwife present, "due to my stubbornness", leading the husband to be the only support during the birth.
Heckles says the decision to have an unassisted home birth was not a financial one, but rather to prove that it can be done:
"Going unassisted was more of an opportunity for me to prove to others that God made our bodies to birth-that hospitals were never the norm."
Heckles talked herself through the pain, using walls and bathtubs for support:
"I just kept telling myself "the pain is only temporary"."
Eventually the baby boy was delivered in the bathroom, weighing nine pounds and eight ounces.
Heckles said that she wants to encourage other mothers to take the unassisted leap:
"I've never felt so powerful and accomplished in my entire life. Our bodies truly are amazing… So if you're afraid or thinking you can't do it, YOU CAN!!! Do not fear, our bodies were made for this!"
Shared by a member of an unassisted home birth Facebook group, Heckles story of the strength has since gone viral:
What do you think of Heckles' home birth? Revolutionary or risky?