Friends, I want you to meet someone extra special today: Our beautiful, incredible daughter, Charlotte London Williams. She is truly a joy that’s been added to our lives. And I cannot describe how happy I am to be finally holding her in my arms. But today’s episode isn’t just about that. It’s also about what came before, our birth story. Before James and I talk about it, I want you to know that there is truly no right or wrong when it comes to how and where you choose to give birth. The story we share is ours and ours only, and even if yours is different, it is still valid. I had a pretty easy pregnancy and I chose to have a home birth. And trust me, it wasn’t without its surprises.  This is our story, so don’t take any of this on if you are expecting or planning to have children soon.  I truly just want this episode to be a safe space where I can share my experience and where you can too if you so choose. So, without further ado, let’s get to it!   In This Episode:  [00:00] Introduction [01:38] It all started on February 4th, and the baby was… early! [07:50] When things started intensifying [18:15] Full-on labor and committing to the horse lips [22:18] It’s finally time to push! [28:53] Things suddenly took a turn… [40:56] What happened the next morning [45:35] The one thing we learned during the birth process   Quotes:  “I think the thing that was super interesting about the whole experience was that, you know, we had planned a home birth. And that felt really good to me the whole time that we were thinking about delivering, I just kept thinking, ‘Where do I want to do it?” The hospital didn't feel good. I couldn't find any birth centers that felt good to me, just being at home felt very comforting.” – Emily Williams “Everything that I did was really just instinctual. And I think that's so much of what birth is. And that's what really intrigued me about being unmedicated as well as just being able to be so in tune with my body and with the baby.” – Emily Williams “I know in the grand scheme of things eighteen hours is not a long time when it comes to labor, especially for a first-time mom, but when you're in the moment, it feels like forever.” – Emily Williams “Rather than [the doula and the midwife] sort of saying ‘It's going to be okay, it won't hurt as much as you think,’ it was more like ‘This is what it is. And yes, it's gonna hurt. And we're here. And this is what's meant to happen.’ And I think that was great, because it was framing for all of us in the room that everything was normal, and that you're amazing, and that you're brave, and [that] you can handle it.” – James Williams “I think the pushing experience is so interesting, because I knew that my body would feel like it needed to push, but I just couldn't imagine what the sensation would actually be. And it does kind of feel like you need to go to the bathroom. But it's this crazy urge, you can't not push, everything in your body is telling you to get this thing out. And that's what I was really surprised about.” – Emily Williams     Links & Resources:  Ready to Uplevel Your Life? Join here: https://www.iheartmylife.com/membership Follow the I Heart My Life Show on Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i-heart-my-life-show/id1569047758 Subscribe to the I Heart My Life Show on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/1Zw6fI37FrfVjZMXlMiZZ6   Connect with Emily: Emily Williams Website https://emilywilliams.com/ Emily on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/emilywilliams/   I Heart My Life Website https://www.iheartmylife.com/ I Heart My Life on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/iheartmylife/ I Heart My Life on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/iheartmylifenow I Heart My Life on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/i-heart-my-life/   Join the IHML community to receive exclusive announcements and tips. https://www.iheartmylife.com/newsletter   Email: info@iheartmylife.com   Connect with James Williams: Learn more about the work J