Last year Fran and Nick bought a woodland in north Wales through Woodlands.co.uk.  They are now actively managing it and are progressively taking out the conifers so that ash and other native broadleaves can take their place through "natural regeneration" (self-sown seedlings developing into new trees).  This couple have engaged in another more personal type of natural regeneration and recently decided to have their second baby "al fresco" - in their own woodland.  Preparations were unusual as the local midwifery team had to come out to inspect the wood to check that it would be safe and accessible in case of emergency.   It became a bit of a local event within the health authority and the ambulance drivers needed to be shown where it was and how to cross the stream to get to where the birth was planned.  Of course, as Fran points out, having your baby like this means you can't take painkillers, but she had their first baby at home so was fairly optimistic that it would work out.

On the evening of 1st December Fran went into labour under a full moon,  which shone in through the top of the temporary yurt they had erected and they had also built a fire to keep warm.  Both the older child and Nick slept through most of the night until the contractions were getting quite close.  At this point Fran woke up Nick and asked him to be ready with the bits that she wanted help with.  They called the midwives on their mobile phone which had a signal and enough battery power - although they knew that being in the middle of a woodland it might take some time to get there: in fact long before the midwife arrived their baby, Orrin, was born.

Nick says, "I didn't have to do much as Fran did most of it but it was a good thing I'd been at a birth before - that helped".  A few minutes after Orrin was born her big sister woke up puzzled, but happy.   The midwives arrived about two hours later and pronounced that the baby was in good health and a good weight (over 8lbs); they helped with the afterbirth and organised for the cord to be cut (by Nick) and sealed off.  The place of birth is given on the birth certificate as "Dead Sheep Wood, North Wales"   Nick points out that the other owners of neighbouring woodlands were all very supportive;  both of having the baby in the wood and of Fran and Nick's woodland management.

Getting this woodland back into active management and converting it into a deciduous woodland is both a family project and a local one.  Because Fran and Nick are very often in their woodland they have met many people who can share information about the history of the woodland.  They have also met an older man, who as a young Forestry Commission worker,  was part of the team who first planted the larch and spruce which are now being cleared.   Although they have heard a lot about the history of their woodland this seems to be the only known human birth in this woodland.

Above is a picture of mother and baby 6 months, which she describes as being "six full moons old" (sorry about the 'for sale' sign which is unintended, but is at least in Welsh).