After nine months of carrying her unborn daughter, 39-year-old Ruth Harvey had finally gone into labor. She was not prepared, however; the contractions began unexpectedly in her home in Dundonald, Ayrshire, United Kingdom, and the baby started coming before she could make it to the hospital. Surprisingly enough though, giving birth at home turned out to be a surprisingly enjoyable experience as she welcomed a 13-pound bundle of joy into this world!
Ruth Harvey welcomed her daughter into the world with sheer joy – a full-term baby weighing in at an impressive twelve pounds and nine ounces! Despite being born so large, she has already grown to fit clothing for three to six-month-olds.
Following the conventional route of childbirth, Harvey had given birth to her two eldest children Brody and Ted at the hospital. However, this time around she was hoping for something unique; a home birth with a water pool installed in her living room where she could welcome her big daughter into the world from within its comforting cocoon.
Harvey’s due date had come and gone more than two weeks ago, yet her little one still hadn’t made their entrance into the world. Despite being eager for the delivery day to arrive, it seemed that baby wasn’t ready to abandon the sanctity of their mother’s womb just yet.
“I think I make big babies anyway. My other two were 9lbs, 9oz, and 10lbs 1oz. We know the team of midwives hasn’t had a baby this big during a home birth. She’s a really big baby. A lot of people have commented, but so far, nobody has said their baby was bigger.”
With the assistance of her beloved 44-year-old partner Eddie Gillan, Harvey was able to transform their house into a luxe birthing center so that she could experience the home birth she had always longed for.
“I gave birth in the hospital before, and we didn’t see the same person twice, but we had a dedicated team of midwives and dealt with the same people the whole time. You can’t imagine giving birth to a 12lbs baby being an enjoyable experience, but it was. It was relaxed. I’m sure it was because I was at home. Eddie put up fairy lights, and we hired the birthing pool. We don’t have a carpet, and we put down tarpaulin and towels. It was like being in a spa with aromatherapy oils and a hot pool.”
As the night fell, Harvey began to experience labor pain and knew that her daughter, Tabitha, was finally ready to meet them. The grandparents arrived in the morning along with Eddie’s other children from a previous relationship; Oliver (13 years old) and Eva (11 years old). To entertain themselves while Harvey was giving birth, they took all four kids for breakfast. Before long – when they returned home – their tiny bundle of joy had already made its grand entrance into this world!
“All the midwives were giving her kisses and cuddles. I gave birth in the hospital before, and we didn’t see the same person twice, but we had a dedicated team of midwives and dealt with the same people the whole time.”
