After a traumatic prior pregnancy that ended in a caesarean, Kaylee Wilson chose a different path for her next birth—welcoming her baby boy outside, near her home, with only family and a support person present.
Taking back control
Kaylee says she was dropped by her homebirth midwife at 42 weeks during her last pregnancy and felt coerced into an induction that led to surgery. Determined to chart her own course, she planned an unassisted “freebirth” this time.
Six days of patience
At 42 weeks + 1 day, her waters began to leak. Over the next six days, she labored at home—enduring roughly 30 hours of involuntary pushing before her son was born in a grassy field steps from the house. Her husband caught the baby, surrounded by their three daughters, Kaylee’s mother, and a support person acting as an unregistered midwife.
Observers noted the baby’s head appeared asynclitic—tilted to one side—likely contributing to the prolonged labor.
“I trusted my body—and my baby”
“In many hospital settings, a labor like this would likely have ended in surgery long before the baby was ready,” Kaylee said. “But I trusted my body, and my baby.”
Advocates of freebirth—giving birth without licensed medical professionals—say her experience underscores the value of maternal autonomy, especially after a prior surgical birth. Kaylee added, “I knew that if I went back into the system, I’d likely face another caesarean. Choosing to birth outside gave me the space to let it unfold naturally.”
A new beginning
Now home and resting with her healthy newborn, Kaylee hopes her story encourages other women to feel empowered to make choices aligned with their values—reclaiming their birth experience on their own terms.
