She had the birth she always dreamed of
This is a home birth story I will carry with me always. This is Imogen and Spencer’s third birth, and the home birth story she always deserved. If you are pregnant in Brighton, Hove, or anywhere across Sussex and wondering what truly supported, independent midwife care looks like, read on, and watch her birth below.
Watch Imogen’s birth
Before you read, you can watch Imogen’s birth in full on YouTube. Have tissues ready.
Watch Imogen’s home water birth here and follow her on Instagram @imogenhorton
She decided she deserved better..
The first time we spoke, she told me about her births.
She had given birth to her daughters, and this was her third baby coming. I remember her crying, telling me all about her births, this woman, a powerhouse of love.
She was honest and open. She had also been holding onto something for some time, and finally felt safe to say it out loud.
Her second birth, she had found herself alone in labour. Nothing had gone wrong. But she hadn’t been believed. She hadn’t felt heard. They didn’t think she was in labour, and she ended up having her baby on her own with her husband in the toilet.
She is that strong.
But just because she could do it alone doesn’t mean she should have had to. Or wanted to.
She wanted better support. That’s why she reached out, and she was willing to say: I want this time to be different. Not because last time had broken her, but because she knew she deserved more.
A home birth story rooted in trust
We talked about what my support looks like. I told her: “my job isn’t to manage you or tell you what to do. My job is to hold space, to trust your body’s wisdom, and to be there when you need me. I’m here to walk alongside you, to give you all the information, be honest with you, and then follow your lead. Your body and your baby will lead this journey.”
She took that and she held onto it.
Over the months we worked together, I watched her grow and move from uncertainty into something solid and real. She stopped looking outside herself for reassurance and started trusting what she already knew. That’s a quiet thing when it happens, but it changes everything. And it was so powerful to see.
When the time came, she was ready.
She had the birth she had always dreamed of. At home, in the water, on her own terms. She followed her body without second-guessing herself. She was fierce in her power but also gentle, calm, and peaceful. So so beautiful to see.
Everything she needed was already within her. It always had been.
Her baby arrived earthside, held and welcomed with gentle love.
And this time, she didn’t have to do it alone. I was beside her, believed in her, so she could believe in herself even more. That is my biggest privilege of all.
She said to me: “You are a pillar of strength. A calm to my storm.”
But there was no storm. She was the infinite ocean of creation. And to see that in motion, her being able to just be, this powerful and beautiful force of nature, it was my biggest honour.
Want to know more?
If Imogen’s story has raised questions for you about your rights in pregnancy and birth, here are some resources I trust and return to again and again:
- Birthrights : your rights in maternity care: because every woman deserves to be believed and heard
- Birthrights: dignity in childbirth: the research behind why this matters
- AIMS, booking a homebirth: everything you need to know about your right to birth at home
- Dr Sara Wickham, the benefits of physiological birth: evidence-based reading on why your body already knows how to do this
If Imogen’s story has spoken to you, here’s how we can work together:
If you are pregnant in Brighton, Hove, Sussex, Surrey, or Kent and you are ready for a different kind of care that believes in you, follows your lead, and shows up fully for you I would love to hear from you.
Watch Imogen’s home water birth here if you want your oxytocin to FLOW
Book a free exploration call: let’s talk about your pregnancy, your history, and what support could look like for you. No obligation, just an honest conversation.
Download the free homebirth checklist everything you need to think about when planning a home birth, written by an independent midwife who has had two herself.
Explore the Cosmo and Sunrise packages: continuity of care, from your first conversation to your baby’s first breath and beyond, and if you are not local I offer Virtual consultation to help you navigate your pregnancy journey
You deserve to be believed, You deserve to be heard, You don’t have to do this alone. ✦
with love, V
