I received the text in the middle of the night but didn’t see it until morning. It was from one of my September birth-center photography clients. Mom was in labor and they were at the hospital. This mama was only at 29 weeks, so I assumed they would be able to stop labor. I don’t know all the details, however when I called in the morning I found that they were giving her the medication to develop baby’s lungs. Baby was coming despite everyone’s best efforts.

That afternoon I went to the hospital ready to shoot a birth. Not too longer after arriving, labor stalled. Amazingly mom & her body was able to hang on for another day and a half, ensuring all the medicine to develops baby’s lungs had a chance to work. When labor started picked up again, I received the call to come back to the hospital.

Baby Rowan surprised all of us by arriving @ 29wks 3days weighing 3lbs 6oz! Rather than being born at the Birth Center the parents’ had chosen, he was born in a hospital O.R. with a NICU staff of five waiting for him. He came out looking great, getting just a little oxygen but needing nothing else. He was able to be held by mom and dad for a few moments before being taken to the special care nursery.

About three weeks after Rowan’s birth, I went back to the hospital to take a couple more shots of this family all together. Though not out of the Special Care nursery yet, he is gaining weight and looking fantastic!

Much thanks to this lovely set of parents for letting me share in their special day!

It is always miraculous to be at a birth; this one was no different. In particular I was excited because this was by first water birth to photograph. I have had moms labor in water, but none had had water births until now.

Baby Hazel was born in water at home in the wee hours of the morning with the wonderful women from Dearborn midwifery attending. It was a beautiful sight to see! Congratulations to mom, dad and big brother!

Baby Raya decided she was coming out whether or not any of us were there! I am thankful that mom and baby were able to hold out long enough for the midwives, the husband and myself to get to the scene. Here are a couple sneak peeks of this beautiful home birth:

He took his time getting here, but it was totally worth the wait! Here is a sneak peek at the little guy I got to greet along with his parents this morning. . .

I can’t tell you how excited I saw when I was invited to photograph this home birth. I had taken pictures at hospital births, but never at a home birth. It took forever for November to arrive. . . and then finally it happened. I got the call. What can I say but it was amazing!?! And just what this mama wanted for this birth  . . .

Initially the mom called me on Wednesday morning. Soon after I got there, she started laboring in the tub. She was doing great – relaxing and breathing through each contraction. Then somewhere along the way things started to slow down. Her midwife, Kate of Twin Cities Midwifery, suggested everyone leave to give her space and time. I anxiously waited for the call to come back, but to my amazement it didn’t happen. As I went to bed I was sure I will get the call in the middle of the night, however I woke up rested from a full night’s sleep.

Amazingly this continued until finally on Saturday I got a from Kate – the mom felt like she was ready to push! I jumped in the car and drove straight there. As I entered the space, I was relieved to see I had not missed the birth.

The living room was pretty dark with the exception of the midwife’s flashlight, a candle and one lamp. I got out my best lens for the conditions and started shooting. Just ten minutes after arriving the father and Kate caught a beautiful baby boy.

About two hours after the birth, after mama and baby and dad all had time cuddling, nursing, getting to know one another, Kate conducted the newborn exam. It confirmed what we already knew – this baby was big – 10-pounds big! Can just check out that chubby face . . . so so sweet!

So many thanks to the parents for inviting me into their home for such a special event. It was a wonderful experience! And thanks to Kate and her team for being so welcoming and supportive of birth photography!

I was so excited when spoke to Joy about the possibility of photographing the birth of her first child. It is an amazing experience to be at the birth of a baby. It is one of those few times in our lives that are uncensored, raw and real. And it is simply a miracle – that mom and mom’s body knows that to do. That baby knows what to do. To watch it first hand is breathtaking.

I arrived at the hospital a little earlier in the labor than I knew I should with a first time mom – however I wanted to make sure I didn’t miss it. It was clear that Joy was excited that the day was finally here. She looked great, happy. She wasn’t yet in active labor.

Over the next 15+ hours she would complete dilating, push for several hours, change positions frequently all with the hopes of moving baby down – however he wasn’t budging. By 5am it became clear that the baby needed to come out and it was going to be by cesarean section. It was a tough blow as mom really wanted to avoid this. I also knew that she really wanted pictures of her new baby right after his birth. Now with the c-section, my ability to get her what she wanted was in doubt. I am so grateful to her doula for finding a way for me to be in the O.R. so I could capture Cullen’s arrival.

I can’t believe what I received today in the mail box. Among some other things that I will blog about tomorrow, I received these four marketing items I ordered. Wow – I just LOVE the way they turned out!  They are 8×8 inch metallic prints on black styrene to make them sturdy.

Special thanks to Michele of Pinkletoes4Photographers for the awesome templates.

As I was updating my portfolio with new birth photos, I ran across this one of my friend. I was blessed to be a part of not one but two of her births. The first time around I was still shooting 35mm – so most of the birth was shot on film with just a couple digital shots I got from my “new” digital camera. I am not sure I even have a picture from that birth in my portfolio (something to add to my to-do list).

By the time second time around, I was all digital which was good because the lighting conditions were particularly poor. My friend, whose water had broken 35.5 weeks, had to give birth in an O.R. as a precaution. The room was dark and with spotlight aimed where the doctor needed to see. However despite the challenges of the environment, the pictures still convey what was intended – what this birth mom needed – documentation of her third child’s birth.

This picture is a favorite of mine. It reminds me of one of the most amazing things about being a birth photographer – capturing uncensored emotion. The joy, excitement and love in her eyes and the connection she is sharing with her husband at this moment melts my heart every time I see it. It is here where I found my calling.

After many, many hours of labor Baby Cullen was born – not quite how we expected – but safe and sound. Here is a little sneak peek . . .

Thank you so much to Joy and Paul for letting me share in your son’s birth day. Thank you also to their Doula Jenica who helped make it possible for me to be in the O.R. to capture  photos for this wonderful family.

Baby Cullen
born June 4th at 6:07am
weighing 8 pounds, 15.2 ounces and measuring 22 inches long