ERIXLAND

The Coolest Thing We Did This Year

This year, we had an unassisted birth in our RV.

And honestly… that’s the coolest thing we did all year.

As the year comes to an end, I’ve been reflecting on my favorite moment.
It wasn’t the most productive moment, or the one that looks best on paper.
It was the moment that shifted how I see myself, my family, and what we’re capable of—especially during our unassisted birth.

September 4th, 2025

On September 4th, 2025, Erika and I decided to deliver our baby unassisted.

No hospital.
No doctors.
Just trust, preparation, and a whole lot of faith.

My “Experience” Before This

The only experience I had even remotely close to this was growing up with a Cocker Spaniel. I watched her give birth to puppies once.

She was such a good dog, handling everything herself—licking the puppies clean, staying calm, and doing exactly what she needed to do.

That memory stuck with me more than I realized.

YouTube University (and One ChatGPT Question)

Before the birth, I asked ChatGPT one question. Then, I watched a YouTube video on how to find dilation. Another great tool for preparation in birthing unassisted.

Gotta love YouTube University.

I used to tell myself in the Army: If I can make it through this, I can do anything.

And this experience only strengthened that belief.

If we can deliver a baby unassisted—in an RV—then we can figure anything out.

That’s the energy I’m carrying into 2026.

I get emotional writing this because I don’t always feel this way. There are days when nothing I do feels good enough. Days when it feels like I’m not getting any closer to who I’m supposed to become.

But that’s when I remember to zoom out.

Day to day, life can feel messy and unclear. But when I look at the bigger picture—the macro view—I can honestly say this:

Zooming Out: Why 2026 Feels Different

Life is a solid 9 out of 10.

Why We Chose an Unassisted Birth

We Weren’t Always Anti-Medicine

Now, we weren’t always anti–traditional medicine.

You’re probably wondering, Why would you do an unassisted home birth?

And yeah—there are some absolute badasses out there who do this on their first rodeo.

This was our third.

Our First Two Births: The Reality of “The System”

With our first two kids, the doctor we’d been seeing during appointments rarely showed up for the delivery.

With our second, the doctor wasn’t even in the room—she was helping another woman give birth.

So when we got pregnant the third time, we decided we’d do it “right” and hire a midwife.

The Midwife Plan (Until the Contract)

Even though it was pricey—about $5,000—it felt worth it.

For me?
No more sleeping on those terrible hospital couches.
For our family?
Being at home, having comfort, and keeping the kids calm instead of stressed in a hospital room.

But then the midwife handed us the contract.

Buried in it was a clause that said if she didn’t show up for the delivery—regardless of the circumstances—we weren’t entitled to a refund.

Ohhhh HELL no.

This felt like the hospital all over again.

That’s when Erika got to work.

Erika’s Research Rabbit Hole

She started researching—Facebook groups, Google, real stories from real people who had done this before.

When she told me that unassisted birth was the direction she wanted to go, I nervously laughed. Mostly because I thought, There is no way she’s actually comfortable with this.

She was.

And I told her the truth:
As long as she was confident, I would be right there with her—every step of the way.

Birth Day

Fast forward to birth day.

Everything went smoothly during our unassisted delivery.

Well… except I accidentally cut the wrong umbilical cord.

Relax—I’m kidding.

(That was a joke. Please don’t cancel me.)

But what really stood out was how grounding the whole experience felt—connecting with something humans have been doing for thousands of years.

I’m pretty sure going to hospitals to have babies is a relatively recent thing in human history, while unassisted births were common.

And honestly?

The Real Hard Part

Unassisted birth wasn’t even the hardest part.

Raising them is.

But that’s a whole other story.

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If ERIXLAND makes sense to you, this is where it continues → GREEN ROOM
Or check out the Origin Story.