My Water Birth Story Ep.1
Why I Chose a Natural Birth
As I prepared for the birth of my first baby, I found myself with so many thoughts I wanted to share.
To begin with, I want to share how I was first introduced to natural birth (unmedicated, low-intervention), and how I came to decide that this was the way I wanted to bring my child into the world.
I live in Korea, and although things are slowly changing, interest in natural birth is still relatively low. Elective C-sections are very common and widely accepted here. Many women choose C-sections for convenience rather than medical reasons.
I don’t believe there is a single “right” or “wrong” way to give birth. Every woman’s body, situation, and priorities are different. Still, at times, I can’t help but feel a bit sad when I see mothers choosing C-sections simply because “that’s what everyone does,” often without having access to enough information to consider other options.
In some cases, even medical professionals do not actively encourage expectant mothers to explore a range of birth possibilities. There are often moments when C-sections are presented almost as a default choice, even when there is no clear medical necessity.
I hope things will change here, so that mothers are given balanced, thorough information and feel empowered to make thoughtful, well-informed decisions they can live with peacefully, without regret. Meanwhile, I’m writing in the hope that this might be helpful to mamas who are curious about natural birth or considering it for themselves.
From here on, I’ll write freely, like a diary.
Ep.1
How I Came to Choose a Natural Birth
I was not someone who particularly wanted to get married.
Then I met my husband — someone remarkably determined and persistent. Through a combination of persistence, persuasion, and sheer determination he eventually wore me down. Before I knew it, I was marrying him!
I was in my late thirties, but thankfully, we became pregnant almost immediately after the wedding, and got our baby Skippy. (That’s how we called him while he was in my womb)
Considering my age, we weren’t exactly sure if pregnancy would come easily, or anytime soon. We weren’t actively trying, nor were we actively trying not to. We were simply going with the flow.
Then one day, I started to feel my heart racing for no clear reason. Is this anxiety? I wondered. Nothing is wrong. Why do I feel like this?
On a whim, I took a pregnancy test.
The line was so faint and barely there, but when I squinted hard enough, the second line appeared! Like one of those magic-eye thingy. I was stunned.
When I told my husband, he was completely SHOOK. He immediately jumped up and shouted, “WHATTTTT!!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME???” followed by tears. What a special moment.
And the first time we heard the heartbeat… truly magical.
Despite my age being considered “medically advanced” for pregnancy, this baby came to me fairly quickly. It felt like an immeasurable blessing.
Pregnancy, childbirth, and motherhood were things I never imagined would be part of my life. And yet, in the blink of an eye, I had become a mother. It felt surreal… and somehow, incredibly exciting!
I love learning new things. I love challenges. I love experiencing the unfamiliar… and I got this brand-new quest! I was fired up about spending the whole year studying, preparing, and doing everything I could for Skippy. The fact that I knew almost nothing about it thrilled me.
As a self-embracing overachiever, I thought to myself:
I AM SO GOING TO NAIL THIS PREGNANCY.
Then, I remembered something.
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Years ago, an Australian friend of mine V had once shown me her birth video. She came from a huge family, one of ten children. Her mother is a supermama, a true birth master, she could probably give birth with her eyes closed.
Back when I was in my early thirties, V casually asked me, “Do you want to see my birth video?” Naturally, my curiosity said yes.
What I saw left a lasting impression.
A Shift in Perspective
First of all, I was quite amazed by how unbothered she was sharing such an intimate, raw moment. But more than that, the birth video was nothing like what I saw in movies and dramas.
It was a peaceful home birth.
There was a midwife. Her mother. The baby’s father. A few family members. Everyone gathered in the comfort of her own home.
She wasn’t screaming. She wasn’t lying on her back. She was standing, slightly squatting, one foot raised a bit higher than the other. Making deep, low sounds as she moved through labor. And then, smoothly, the baby slipped into the world. (She said that she was in a lot of pain, but she sure made it look so easy!)
The baby’s father caught the newborn and gently placed the baby into V’s arms, the umbilical cord still intact. She looked down and said, in a trembling but joyful voice,
“Oh… hi, baby.”
Everyone around her smiled and celebrated.
It felt less like a medical event as movies and dramas often portray it. It felt more like a festival of life.
I found myself tearing up. I didn’t even want a baby at that point, which made it all the more surprising how deeply it moved me.
We celebrate weddings, birthdays, and joyful moments surrounded by the people we love. One of the moments that made me cry at my own wedding was seeing the faces of my friends and family, feeling their love and support in the room.
Watching that birth, I realized for the first time:
Childbirth could be that kind of moment too.
Not a painful ordeal to endure in an unfamiliar place for the joy that comes later, but the very first step of joy in meeting your child.
That was the moment my perception of birth shifted.
Bringing Skippy Into the World
I am someone with an incredibly low tolerance for pain. I shake and sweat every time I get my blood drawn. I opt for full sedation at the dermatologist. Before marriage, avoiding childbirth pain felt like one of the perks of staying single.
Now, I had to face the fear I thought I would avoid my entire life.
I had nine long months to think.
And while elective C-sections are common in Korea, for me, surgery — being cut open — felt even more frightening than natural birth.
There is no single right answer. But as a mother, I wanted to make a decision I could stand behind. One I chose after careful study, honest comparison, and deep reflection. A choice I could remember with confidence, peace, and even pride.
The way I give birth matters.
And so, after all that thought-
I chose a natural, unmedicated birth.
Hypnobirthing would later become an important part of how I prepared for it.
(To be continued in Ep.2)
