It started with a goal.

I've been interested in doing a L&D since 2019, Once Covid-19 hit there was just no way that Goal was going to be hit anytime soon with the hospital restrictions going on. So I put that goal up on a shelf for a while and didn't really think about it for a couple of years I thought to myself "eh probably wasn't going to happen anyway" that imposter syndrome was sneaking up on me.

Once I had my son Owen in December 2022 and leaned that my husband and I wouldn't be having anymore bio children, the grief of never getting the chance to give birth again was really hard, I loved the birthing experience, it was raw, it required a strong mental mindset and it was such a cool beautiful thing! So knowing that I would never get the chance again, the want to photograph other's became EVEN STRONGER selfish reasoning? maybe... lol

so I took the gaol off the shelf and shared it with my following on social media. I had a couple moms reach out to me with interest, but nothing came of it, so I just kept sharing and hoping id eventually get the opportunity.

The Opportunity

A bride of mine from 2020 reached out to me in July about a fresh 48 session of their second baby who would be born in October. I, of course said YES! but thought "hmm maybe she'd be interested" so I shared with her that I was wanting to start offering L&D photos and she LOVED the idea! WOO HOO! Being chosen to be part of such an intimate part of a couples life really is the BIGGEST compliment. I was so excited and nervous and did I say excited???

She shared with me that they would be delivering at the Birthing Center which was even cooler because I had started my pregnancy there with Owen so I would actually get to see what it would have been like to finish out my pregnancy there. I can't help but think maybe God was healing a part of me that was a little broken.

The process

The months leading up to the birth I was trying to imagine what this was going to be like. the photos themselves, the timing of everything what I would do with my 2.5 year old at home if my husband was gone, would I even wake up to the call if it was in the middle of the night?!

I was just really hoping everything would go smoothly on my end to make this the best experience as possible for the couple because, I quite honestly had no idea what I was doing! I doubted myself many times but I knew this was something I really wanted to do so I was just going to go with the flow because we all know birth is on it's own time and I psych myself out.

October 8th 9:13pm the Mom texted and shared that she had been having contractions for a couple of hours and that she was going to lay down for a bit just incase it was go time! I didn't hear anything that night I hardly slept worried i was going to sleep through her call! lol the next morning I checked on her and she was still having some contractions but nothing to serious she had an apt that next day so she would keep me posted. Next day came and she text me saying she was hoping it was early labor, it could keep going or stop so she was going to go home and do a mile circuit to see if she could get something real going, unfortunately when I checked on her later the mile circuit had the opposite effect she wanted and her contractions had stopped. I kept checking on her the next few days just to check in to see if I should be expecting something so I had a heads up if I needed to move my schedule around or not go too far from town. This part of being a L&D photographer is kind of tricky if you think about it.. Your life doesn't stop going just because you're waiting on a baby to be born.. but you always have to be prepared so my camera went everywhere with me and I had people on call to take my daughter.

It's GO TIME!

October 22nd 6:50pm

Mom messaged me saying “maybe tonight”

I was ready! Later on, we both decided to try to go to sleep. 11:03pm I got a message “loading the car!” We both lived about an hour from the Birthing Center where she’d be delivering at so it would be perfect timing. I arrived at the birthing center at 12:10 and Dad said “we didn’t think we were going to make it, we made it here pretty fast” I won’t share how quickly they got there but it was FAST! Lol

Mom was already in the birthing tub when I walked in. Although this seems like it would be a chaotic time it was SO peaceful. Music softly playing in the background, the smell of essential oils from the diffuser and low lights it was a perfect environment for baby E to come into.

Dad was ON IT when it came to counter pressure, he knew exactly when mom needed it, and was so attentive.

About 9 minutes after I took my first photo mom gave her Doula a look I’ll never forget, it was a look of “oh shit this is happening” so I turned her phone on to record the birth as she had requested, 2 pushes later at 12:22am baby E made her way with the assist of dads catch and hand off (nice job Dad! ) Mom did an amazing job, and make it look pretty effortless!

For the next 16 minutes mom and baby had uninterrupted skin to skin in the tub just looking at each other until mom was ready to move to the bed for more snuggles and first feeding session, (Check out that knotted cord!) after delayed cord cutting and a ‘placenta tour’ We were able to get some photos of Mom, Dad and baby before her first exam where we’d find out all her details. Dad was able to weigh her himself and got to tell everyone that that she was 6lb 15oz! I love that the dads are SO involved in the births at the Birth Center.

Mom and baby were already hitting goals. They were well on their way to their breakout!

Take a look at the images the couple is allowing me to share with you guys!