Stacy Keibler Talks 19-Hour Labor, Natural Home Birth of Daughter Ava: "I Felt Like We Went to War Together"

New mom talks with Ricki Lake about how The Business of Being Born "changed everything for my husband and me"

By Rebecca Macatee Jul 06, 2015 9:02 PMTags
Stacy Keibler, Ava Gracestacykeibler.com

Before Stacy Keibler and husband Jared Pobre welcomed daughter Ava Grace last August, they didn't really know what to expect.

To help prepare for labor and delivery, the first-time parents-to-be watched Ricki Lake's 2008 documentary, The Business of Being Born, and the film "changed everything for my husband and me," Stacy wrote in a StacyKeibler.com blog post Monday.

"When I was pregnant, I did concurrent care with both my OB-gyn and midwife because I wanted to compare the journey," Stacy wrote. "I concluded that there was no doubt that I wanted to have a home birth with no medication."

Daughter Ava was born "late" according to the couple's OB-gyn, but as Stacy explains in an exclusive Business of Being Born clip, it's "normal" for many first-time moms not to go into labor until after their doctor-predicted due date.

What she didn't necessarily expect, however, was a 19-hour labor! As she explained to Ricki, the experience "felt like we went to war together."

"I kept saying, like, 'Ava's a warrior. I'm a warrior…' Then when she came out, I feel like we had this bond that we fought together."

Having a natural birth at home "was by far the best decision I could have made," Stacy wrote in her blog post.

She isn't saying that everyone should follow her exact birth plan, though. As she writes in her blog, every mom-to-be "needs to listen to her own heart and do what she thinks is best for her family."

"Educating yourself will help guide you in the direction that feels right," Stacy continues. "If you are pregnant for the first or the fifth time, it is never too late to change your mind on how you would like to experience your little miracle coming into this world."