Stress-free: Marissa Heckel, of Columbus Grove, Ohio, gave birth to her son at home without any drugs or professional help
A woman proudly shared a revealing photo of herself right after giving birth to her baby son in her bathroom after a 36-hour drug-free home delivery.
Marissa Heckel, a mother of two from Columbus Grove, Ohio, chose to welcome her second child at home after she experienced a negative hospital birth while delivering her daughter three years ago.
She took to Facebook earlier this month to share her home birth photo, which shows her proudly holding her newborn while standing naked next to her toilet bowl, with her placenta at her feet.
During the birth of her first child, which occurred at a hospital and without drugs, Marissa felt ‘bullied’ about her birth plan and ‘harassed throughout’ her labor, as explained in a different Facebook post shared by one of her friends.
Thus, she decided to take matters into her own hands for the birth of her son.
‘My husband was very supportive the entire time as he respected my body and my choice to be in a stress-free environment. We opted out of a midwife due to my stubbornness. I simply do not like anyone trying to tell me what is best for me or my baby,’ she wrote.
Marissa’s labor lasted for 36 hours and she didn’t take any medication for pain relief.
Instead, the mother took showers and baths to help manage her pain, but when these offered little relief, she eventually endured the pain by ‘standing up against the wall’.
Candid: The mother took to Facebook earlier this month to share this photo of herself right after welcoming her son in her bathroom
‘I just kept telling myself “the pain is only temporary”,’ she said.
Describing the moment her contractions started, Marissa shared that her husband held her hand throughout, describing the experience as ‘almost romantic’.
However, after her waters broke in their bed and she felt the urge to push, she moved to the bathroom as the bed seemed ‘unnatural’ for her.
‘I told my husband about my urge to push and asked for assistance to the toilet. I let my body do the pushing. I just sat on the toilet,’ she recounted.
Although her husband began to worry after Marissa had been pushing for a prolonged period of time, she assured him that she could feel their son’s head descending.
Amazing: Marissa is encouraging other women to give birth at home and says the experience made her feel powerful and accomplished
Still sitting on the toilet at that point, Marissa joked that her husband was worried their son was going to be born there, so she stood up and announced she was going to deliver the shoulders in this position.
‘My husband looked at me like I was nuts but helped me anyway,’ she added. ‘I stood up, held onto the towel rack and let my body do one last push and he was finally out.’
Weighing nine pounds and eight ounces, Marissa’s newborn son was also 22 inches in length and his head measured 36 centimeters – making him, as she put it, ‘no average-sized baby’.
Marissa urged other mothers-to-be considering a home birth not to fear the process.
‘I’ve never felt so powerful and accomplished in my entire life. Our bodies truly are amazing!’ she said.
‘So if you’re afraid or thinking you can’t do it, YOU CAN!!! Do not fear, our bodies were made for this!’