From Seed to Soul

The Free-Birth of our Third Child

Birth can be quiet, birth can be still.

Birth can be loud, birth can be primal.

Birth can be planned and practiced and intervened with.

But when we have deep trust and allow the miraculous power of a woman’s body to do what it was physiologically designed to do -

Birth can also be free.

Free from stress, free from authoritarianism, free from hospitals, clinics, heart monitors and interventions.

Birth can be FREE.

For me, free-birth is the intersection between life and death - heaven and earth. It is an opportunity for women to channel all the energies of creation to bring forth new life. It is a holy and sacred act of creation. It is an unraveling and re-birthing. An initiation of our highest self on the highest timeline. To which all women have the profound blessing of being the center of - if we so choose it. 

When I chose to free-birth our babies in sovereignty and solitude, I chose to say no to countless scans and tests and instead trust in the workings of God. 

When I chose to free-birth our babies in the peace and comfort of home, I chose to say no to strangers being present as I delivered a new soul for their Earthly experience. 

As I write this, It’s been 2 years and four months since the unassisted free-birth of our third baby and 5 months until I journey to the altar of birth once again to welcome our fourth child. As I prepare for birth once again, I feel a deep calling to share my experiences and my learnings so that other women might feel inspired on their journey to childbirth.

The Free-Birth of Our Third Baby

It was a cold mid-winter morning on our little family homestead in the Mary Valley - QLD.

I rose late at around 7am and slowly ushered myself into our morning routine.

My eldest daughter and I had been practicing Yoga together most mornings as we grew closer and closer to our birthing time. Despite the pain, pressure and heaviness of the 39th week of pregnancy, I loved our rising rituals and I diligently continued to the Yoga mat, despite feeling the ever so subtle sensations of early labour. 

With 2 births already ‘under my belt’ one would think I’d be sure of when early labour begins, but this time felt different. The sensations were very soft and subtle. Like a slight tightening that was almost not even there. 

So we moved through our morning as we would any normal day. I made break-fast and packed lunch for Nyah’s homeschool gathering happening down our street. I mentioned to my husband that ‘something might be happening’ - so I opted to stay home while he took Nyah down the road. 

By the time he returned, sensations were becoming more apparent, but still I wasn’t convinced that I was in labor. It was a glorious, crisp wintery day and it felt so good to be in the sun. Zion, our 2 year old and I spent the morning in the garden. I was squatting down weeding and sowing new seeds as the sensations grew more and more apparent.

Kush, Zion and I were set up in the sun near our greenhouse, re-potting seedlings and dreaming up our ultimate garden when I began to feel sure that labor was actually happening.

I knew I should conserve my energy, so at about 11am I moved myself to a mattress in the direct sunlight. I soaked up the delicious winter rays and bared my skin to the warmth as the sensations kept building and building.

By now, It was about midday and I had transitioned into a trance-like state of deep concentration and surrender. While at the same time able to tap into the earthly needs of our 2-year-old who didn’t leave my side for the entire day, he could feel that birth was imminent. I was feeling pleasure through the pain, expansion through the ‘contractions’ and deep gratitude for the warmth of the sun and the safety of our home. 

At about 1.30pm we were eating salad from our garden and I declared that it was ‘definitely happening today!’. Until that point I was floating in and out of surety that I was even in labour. So after lunch I requested that we set up the space to welcome our new baby!

Kush cleared the dishes while Zion and I snuggled and drifted in and out of sleep. I was conscious of the pain, but somehow beyond it at the same time, the sensations growing and growing and growing. After I woke, Kush said he would go and take a shower and then come back to ‘prepare the space’. I agreed and stood up to rearrange myself on the sofa. 

Before I made it to the sofa my body transitioned, and before I knew It I was bearing down and ready to push! I called out to Kush to come quickly. He was there just in time to help me remove my tracksuit pants and witness our baby's head being born. 

It was about 3pm now and I was standing up and leaning over the back of the sofa as our baby emerged, so quickly that his head was born - still inside the amniotic sac which was completely intact. Kush was unsure what was happening, but didn’t waver. He kept saying “wow this is so beautiful”, “you’re doing it babe.” He peeled away the amniotic sac to reveal the babies squishy little face and with the next surge came the rest of his body and the flood of amniotic fluids.

Amongst all the action, Zion was standing quietly behind me, right there to witness the entire process. As were our 2 dogs Congo and Sheba. In classic Sheba style (iykyk!), she was right there to ‘clean up’ the mess and had us all laughing as we welcomed our boy to the world!

With the next surge came the relief of birthing the placenta just as our daughter and my mother arrived home. All of us there to revel in the every-day magic of birth. 

Over the next few hours baby boy and I soaked in a warm tub and we took care of the placenta with a mixture of dried herbs and sea salt that I had prepared earlier. We had planned a lotus birth this time - where we would delay the cutting of the umbilical cord altogether and allow it to naturally fall away when the time was right. This would take up to 10 days, allowing for the natural solitude and slowness that should be observed in the sacred window of time after birth. 

We ended up cutting the cord on the third day and buried the placenta beneath ganja seedlings which went on to produce the most medicinal flowers we’d ever known! We chose to cut the umbilical chord prematurely and not wait for the natural process to unfold because at the time the commitments that life demanded of us unfortunately did not align with that ideal slowness.

Zion & Papa Bury our boy's placenta under the herb garden

As I look back on that miraculous winter day, I am overwhelmed with gratitude and awe at the sacred dance of life and creation that unfolded in our humble home. As if nothing out of the ordinary was happening - because it wasn’t. It was everything and nothing, a simple miracle and the most ordinary thing to have ever happened - birthing a baby boy in the comfort of home, with nobody there to witness it except family. 

The experience of free-birthing our third child was a profound reminder of the power and intuition that resides within each woman. It was a moment where time seemed to stand still, and the boundaries between the earthly and the divine blurred. 

Surrounded by the warmth and power of the sun, the gentle presence of my family, and the unconditional love of our animals, I felt an indescribable connection to the universe and its infinite possibilities. 

This birth was not just the arrival of a new soul, but a reaffirmation of my trust in the natural process and my role as its vessel. As we embraced our new son, I felt a deep sense of fulfilment and joy, knowing that I had brought him into this world in the most peaceful, empowered way possible. 

This journey has inspired me to share my story with others, hoping to ignite the same courage and confidence in women contemplating their own paths to motherhood.

I have decided to offer a very small group of pregnant women the opportunity to journey with me through a personalised 1:1 offering.

Blooming In Birth: Wild Pregnancy and Natural Birth Mentorship

Blooming in Birth is a transformative journey designed to empower and support women seeking a completely natural pregnancy and birthing experience. 

This personalized mentorship offers holistic guidance tailored to your unique needs and aspirations, blending ancient wisdom with lived experiences and modern insights. Throughout the program, you'll engage in weekly 1:1 sessions where we dive deep into prenatal wellness, emotional resilience, and the art of birthing naturally. My approach includes guided 1:1 or small group prenatal yoga, meditation, and breath-work to nurture both body, baby and mind, fostering a serene and confident birthing mindset and environment. 

For more information on this mentorship, please reach out! Either over in my Instagram DM’s or email me - greetings@elevatewellnessco.org.

I will be sharing more on free birth, my fourth natural pregnancy and motherhood over the coming weeks, stay with me - I’d love to share the journey with you! PLease also share with any mama’s you know who might resonate with my words and my work.

With more love every time,

Irie