A British eyelash technician who was trolled for her garden home birth that trolls said would horrify neighbours has shared how she was rushed to hospital in the end.
Louise Garrod had hoped to welcome her child through a water birth in a pool under a gazebo inside her fenced outdoor space.
To make the space cosy and warm, the 24-year-old also hung fairy lights and set up a heater.
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Sharing her birth plan online in a video that went viral with over 310,000 views, the mum, who has two kids including her newborn, was met with heavy criticism.
Louise, who shares two-year-old Romeo and newborn Stevie with her partner, Josh, 27, told What’s The Jam.
“People commented that neighbours may think I was having an exorcism due to the sounds of childbirth.
“We set up a gazebo with our garden sofa inside, a birth pool, fairy lights and a lamp, and a heater to keep the gazebo warm.
“No neighbours [would be able to see in] and [it] wasn’t visible to passer-bys.
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“[I] had quite a few negative comments about how it’s ‘not safe’, ‘not going to be warm enough for the baby’ [and] that ‘hospitals are there for a reason’ – [so] I explained my reasoning.
“I opted for a home birth because I had such a smooth sailing birth with my first baby, and felt I would be more comfortable in my own surroundings.
“We set up outside as our living arrangements won’t allow for a birth pool inside.
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“I didn’t care about people’s reactions.
“I had the attitude, ‘My body, my baby, my choice’.
“It was something i wanted to do desperately, and I wasn’t letting anyone stop me.”
Unfortunately, Louise never got her dream birth scenario.
She was rushed to hospital because her baby’s heart rate was dropping due to a true knot in his cord, which is extremely rare.
Louise, from Norfolk, said: “I believe the [garden water birth] environment would’ve helped had I not had complications.
“Labour wasn’t progressing anywhere near as quickly as it did with my first, and the home birth team were concerned about his heart rate as he was having D Cells.
“We transferred to hospital to monitor his heart rate, and then opted to stay in as his heart rate was still lower than they liked.
“I was still able to have a waterbirth in the hospital, and he was born with a true knot in his cord, so ultimately we were in the best place!”
The mum, who is also a micro influencer with 12,500 followers, gave birth to Stevie on 11 June – and, taking the negative comments about her birth plan on the chin, says it was nothing like an exorcism.
She added: “The exorcism comparison is funny!
“More because it’s not what birth has been like at all for me.
“In the movies where you see women screaming through labour – it’s unrealistic.
“Many women, whilst vocal, don’t scream.
“People often deceive the sounds of labour as ‘mooing’.
“I’ve wanted a home birth with both children and haven’t been able to with either now, despite all the planning and preparations.
“[But] should I choose to have anymore children, I will be trying for a home birth again!”
Social media users were divided by Louise’s unusual birth plan.
One person commented: “All good until something goes wrong.”
Another wrote: “My neighbours would have thought there was an exorcism going on if I gave birth outside.
“Hope yours is lovely and peaceful though.”
Meanwhile, one person loved the idea: “Looks amazing ! I supported a lady who gave birth in her hot tub in the garden a few years ago! So magical.”
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