Tara's birth at home reverses baby trend

BABY Tara Duffy made history this week when she became the first baby born at home in the village of Nurney for over 40 years. With no maternity facility in Carlow, she is one of a rare breed born within the country boundary.

Tara's mum, Mary Cummins, from Nurney Post Office admits that the whole experience of a home birth is one to be thoroughly recommended after she brought the 9lb beauty into the world.

"It was great, everything went so well and I had great confidence in the domiciliary midwife.

"It was just so much more relaxed than a hospital and it was lovely to have the comfort of my own bed," Mary smiles.

Tara's arrival created great excitement among Mary's other four children Ross (8), Caoimhe (6), Luke (5) and Eoin (3).

"The children were just so excited. After she was born, they were in straight away climbing all over the bed hugging and kissing her - you could just feel the excitement," Mary admits.

"It was great to tell them that I wasn't going anywhere," she adds.

This excitement also spilled into the village where Mary's partner, Martin Duffy, is a teacher in the local national school.

"The junior classes made some lovely cards for us," Mary enthused.

Tara's delivery was without complications and Mary admits she had complete confidence in her midwife, Philomena Canning, from Dublin.

"I didn't feel worried at all. It was all at my own pace with no schedules, no intrusive examinations, everything happened in my own time.

"I knew that if there were complications during the delivery I could go to the hospital but I had a very healthy pregnancy. With the other four my blood pressure was always high but this time I had no blood pressure problems at all," Mary explains.

"Statistically, home births are the safest of all," she adds.