Amanda Owen, the Yorkshire shepherdess known for her large family and remote farm life, has opened up about her unconventional approach to childbirth and parenting. In a recent interview, she revealed that she prefers to give birth alone, like a ewe, and has done so on multiple occasions. Owen and her husband Clive have nine children, ranging from seven months to 15 years old, living on their exposed farm in the Yorkshire Dales.
Owen described her first birth as a nightmare, with the baby stuck and a long ambulance ride where the midwife was sick. She later gave birth to her second child prematurely during a storm, delivered by a nurse friend. For subsequent births, Owen opted for home births, often alone in the early hours to avoid waking anyone. She said, 'I like to give birth alone, like a ewe,' emphasizing her hands-off approach.
The couple never planned to have a large family. Owen said, 'I had no dream to have an enormous family,' and that having children 'just happened.' She credits the farm, Ravenseat, as the reason for their brood, wanting to 'breathe life back into it' after finding it in a dilapidated state. The children have free run of the farm, with jobs and responsibilities, while babies are carried on her back until they can walk.
Owen's life has been documented in her books, including 'The Yorkshire Shepherdess,' which has been optioned by Hollywood. She continues to manage the farm with her husband, raising sheep and children in a self-sufficient manner.
