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Home births seem to be making a comeback. After all, it makes sense that a ready-to-pop mother would rather welcome her baby in a more calm and intimate environment than a frantic visit to a hospital. Giving us a glimpse into this one-of-a-kind setting, Hilary Duff shared with fans the home birth of daughter Mae James from March of this year. 

In a series of photos on Instagram, the 33-year-old actress is shown coping with contractions while her husband, Matthew Koma, and co-star-turned-doula Molly Bernard provide relief at her side. “For me to feel safe during birth and get to where I need to go, it’s crucial to have the right support system,” Duff wrote in the caption. “The perfect amount of space, counter-pressure, humor, stillness, and people that support my power. My hubby is the calmest anchor in the room when I feel like climbing the walls and my little Molly is an extraordinary doula who sat with me when I needed to be still and quiet. She quite enjoyed the fact that I was sitting on doggy puddle pads as my water had broken hours before.”

Duff also mentioned that her mother’s presence at the birth, along with the extra support system that watched her other children — the actress shares 2-year-old daughter Banks and 9-year-old son Luca with ex-husband Mike Comrie — while she herself couldn’t felt “the most comforting thought of all.” 

Wrapping up her lengthy caption, Duff gave an ode to new mothers and the overall journey into parenthood. “This is hard work…every way a woman brings a baby in is. From getting pregnant to c-sections, hospital or home births, the breastfeeding journey (oy vey that one gets me every time) and raising these little beings responsibly to be stand up, confidant, kind citizens of the world,” she said. “It’s completely consuming. A tedious, magical, miraculous adventure…So cheers almighty mothers. You make mountains move daily.”