Birth Story in Photographs- Zane

She was nearly two weeks overdue, and I knew her previous labor had gone VERY quickly, so I wondered if I’d actually make it to the birth. I imagined myself being with the kids somewhere, getting the call, and having to arrange childcare at rapid speed, get the kids home, and then make the 35 minute drive to her house. I was fortunate though, that she went into labor while I was home and Chris was just 10 minutes out. Our sweet neighbor came over to cover the overlap, which was incredibly kind, given that Annabelle apparently screamed bloody murder the entire time she was there- she is a wee bit dramatic, that Annie.

Anyway, when I arrived around 6pm, I thought we’d be there all night, honestly. I would have guessed her to be in early pre-labor. She was talking, laughing, and getting through contractions with her cute little toddler draped over her knees.

Fortunately for her, this is just how she labors, and it was only a couple hours later that a baby arrived. It was remarkable! I really have a new perspective on labor and the birth process- it’s absolutely unique. Every single birth is different, and that makes it especially fun for me to photograph.

I’ll let you take a visual journey from here on out.

Welcome, baby Zane!

Birth Story in Photographs- Ward

Ok, so I’m going to cheat a bit- not blogging in chronological order, I mean! It would seem unnatural to blog about this baby’s arrival when he’s a month old- which is likely to happen if I wait to blog my sessions in chronological order.

So… that brings me to baby Ward! He’s so special for many reasons, but his birth is quite significant to me because he will go down in history as my very first photographed birth. (I have attended another, but not to take photos).

This mom is actually a friend of mine, who I met at Mom and Baby Group at The Birth and Women’s Health Center when Annie was an infant. What an experience it was to witness such an amazing moment with her and her family!  She serves as quite an inspiration to other moms seeking a natural birth experience because, not only did she do it all natural, she did it with a fractured foot, bruised knee and severely injured shoulder. It’s sort of a blessing that this little baby decided to wait well over his due date to make an appearance- she had a little extra time to heal from her fall.

I’m hoping in just a few days (or less), the other very late baby I’m meant to photograph, will come slowly enough for me to get there, but fast enough that mama doesn’t have to endure too much pain.

I can’t thank these families enough for allowing  me to be a part of this experience.