Coco Legoff-O'Brien opted for home birth after unhappy experiences during the birth of two of her children in a Dublin maternity hospital.
She found routine hospital procedures, such as "breaking of the waters" when the amniotic sac is punctured to progress labour, and being confined to bed and constantly monitored, difficult to tolerate during her first labour. And during her second, she felt neglected. Staff did not accept she was in labour when she arrived at the hospital and she had to fight to be admitted, though the baby was delivered within a few hours. The nurses and midwives were so stretched, she says, that her sheets were not changed during her stay and it was difficult to get help when she needed it.
When it came to planning a third child she could not face hospital care again and decided to opt for home birth.
"A friend told me about her very positive experience with home birth so I went on to the Home Birth Association website and read about it. There are only two independent midwives in Dublin and Kate Spillane was recommended to me, so I contacted her."
Antenatal care with her independent midwife was a stress-free experience.
"Kate just arrived. She would check the baby's heart and my blood pressure and stay for a long chat. If you felt emotional or had any problems she would advise you and if you needed support or had any fears you could call Kate and she would talk to you."
The midwife's visits became a family occasion with Coco's children, Joshua (9) and Brishan (5), getting a chance to listen to the baby's heart and have their questions answered. Husband Bobby supported Coco's decision to have a home birth but relatives were worried.
"When you explain you will have a qualified midwife it helps, but you have to be strong, you need to be respected for your choices," she says.
When the day of the birth arrived Bobby busied himself with filling a birthing pool while the midwife prepared for the new arrival.
"Then when it was filled I didn't want to get undressed. I didn't say it, but Kate kept observing me and she just knew. She told Bobby to cover up the pool and made me comfortable on the couch."
Baby Sasha arrived into a calm and peaceful world, with his older brothers quietly looking on, having woken just before delivery.
"The boys were fascinated and excited. They are very close to the baby," she says. "It was my first experience of a drug-free birth. I could manage the pain because I was in my own home. I was surrounded by people I could trust."
She was also impressed with the level of postnatal care offered. Her midwife visited every day for 12 days and nursed her through a bout of mastitis. "I don't know how I would have got through that without her," says Coco. "I would recommend home birth to anyone."