Birth Photography

birth photography :: arielle

in

teresa's sister had the idea of purchasing birth photography for teresa and her husband travis as a baby shower gift. i just have to say, that's pretty much one of the best ideas ever! forget the motorized baby swing that will be useless after 4 months! birth photography is a gift that gets more and more meaningful over time. i thought that was a really amazing idea, and so thoughtful. 

when the birth day arrived, NO ONE knew that teresa was in labor at the hospital. so there was this delicious secrecy to the whole thing. teresa and travis were in it together, so in sync and mutually supportive. there was lots of laughter between contractions, and an open-hearted quality in both of them that was a gift to witness. 

because they did not know the baby's gender, they had a little list of boy and girl name possibilities lying in the window sill when i arrived. i peaked at it, wondering which of those names was going to be put into use in just a few short hours.

their labor process was smooth. they were blessed with a beautiful day, as gorgeous natural light streamed through the windows the entire time. their nurses were jovial. and because teresa had an epidural, she was relaxed and joyful, and we had a really lovely time "hanging out" in those final hours and minutes leading up to their baby's birth. 

i'm a bit at a loss for words to say just how sweet this couple is, how well they love one another, and how fortunate little miss arielle is to be born into their love. but i think you'll be able to see it in the pictures. so, without further ado...

as an aside: you all know that i love bartering. well, when i met them for their maternity session, they paid me with homegrown, whole CHICKENS. they were huge. and cooked up beautifully. you also are welcome to propose a barter!

also, an update: i'm filling up for birth photography in 2014. i can still squeeze one in for the first part of June. November and December still have openings. so, if you've been sitting on the fence, sit there no longer, friend. climb down and give me a call. :)

 

birth photography :: rosie

in

mitch and lauren found me rather last-minute. that's because it took them a while to realize that they wanted a birth photographer. it was seeing mitch's sisters photos, and hearing her brother-in-law say that they probably were even more valuable than their wedding photos, that finally led them to do a google search for "grand rapids birth photographer," a search which, happily, led them to me. when they contacted me, they said it was the "bonus" part of my birth photography package that was the clincher: namely, that i pray while i shoot. :)

later, sitting across from one another in my living room, they told me what they were envisioning. i wouldn't actually be in the room during the birth; instead, i'd be in the waiting room, along with 12-20 of their friends and family, documenting the story of their eager anticipation, and the moment when mitch would walk into the room and announce the birth and gender and name. this is a moment that they KNEW would get incredible reactions from their families. and they were right! after six hours in a waiting room with them, i came to realize that these are passionate, expressive, deeply loving and devoted people. 

when lauren's labor took an unexpected turn and seemed to be stalling, mitch came out to the waiting room, not to announce the birth but to ask for prayers. and that mighty army of loved ones joined hands in a circle and interceded for lauren and for the baby. and when a c-section was deemed necessary, the parents went into the L&D room, laid hands on lauren, and prayed again. finally, after rosie was born, mitch got his triumphant moment of announcement. and it was totally worth waiting for. 

rosie was totally worth waiting for. 

i'm so impressed by the incredible community of loving support mitch and lauren have built around themselves, a community which rosie is blessed to be born into as her inheritance. 

here's some images from her story.

I look forward to growing with your family over the years, mitch and lauren. here's to many more beautiful photographs of your beautiful selves. 

and, if you liked this post, you might also like ellison's birth story.

birth photography :: ellison

in

what i wish our culture afforded us is more honest portrayals of birth. something other than the stereotypical sitcom scene: water breaks at the store, rush to the hospital, scream in pain and say terrible things to your partner, huff and puff, push baby out...all while laying flat on your back and all within about an hour. it's absolutely misleading. 

truth is that birth is intense and arduous work, but it normally doesn't make you hate your partner, nor say nasty things. truth is, birth may take 30 minutes or 72 hours, but either is normal. truth is, birth can be and often is serene, even without pain medication. truth is, there can be peace like a thick blanket laying across the entire space, even when there is groaning and other vocalizations. truth is that women normally move around a lot when they labor, unless they cannot (epidurals, monitors). truth is that women are powerful and in command of themselves, even as they are surrendering to something even more powerful than themselves. 

so when my clients allow you, dear blog followers, to see snippets of their birth stories, you are being given a great gift! you're being allowed to see how birth really is, or really can be. as we witness these stories, we can begin to let go of and live outside of the media stereotypes and to move past our own fears about birth. 

now, onto amy and darren. this couple, from the moment i met them, were obviously uber prepared for birth. they studied, they trained, and they lined up appropriate support (stacy beene of serenity holistic health was their doula, and she was awesome). when i joined them in triage at the hospital, amy was in the zone. so focused, steady, rhythmic. she was putting into practice all that she learned from hypnobabies, as well as utilizing the second-nature movements she gained as a dancer. and throughout her labor, as she paced, rolled on the birth ball, hung on the squat bar, and swiveled her hips, her breathing and humming were a constant, quiet soundtrack. at transition, she expressed the classic "i can't do this anymore" statement. but her loving support people knew what to do, and after saying just two carefully chosen sentences of encouragement, amy was back in the game. it wasn't long after that that her sweet babe was born. a girl. 

and you should have seen her daddy's face! 

thank you so very much, amy and darren, for the honor of being a witness to your birth story. can't wait to see you soon for ellison's newborn session. 

 

birth photography :: gwen

in

it won't be long before i'll have THREE very recent births and fresh, squishy newborn photos to show you, because 3 is the number of births for which i am on call this month. but while i wait, i'm gearing up by revisiting births i photographed in the last two years. here's another one, and such a special one. 

Wendy is one of my heroes of motherhood. she's crunchy, yes. like, if she took one of those crunchy mama quizzes, she'd come out as the top rating, i'm sure. but i think what really inspires me about her is how she takes motherhood in stride, undaunted and even-keeled as she adventures into the world with her little ones by her side. 

Gwen was born on garrets' family property, on the giant screen porch at dawn. all you could hear from outside were chickens softly clunky, crickets chirping, and the wind in the grasses. a little further off were the cows. no other houses or people in sight. it was a really magical birth. and it was one of the first times i got to see the strength of a woman in natural labor and delivery, how peaceful it could be, how much a woman and her baby could cooperate to accomplish birth. 

Also, my stellar midwives, Sara Badger and Jodi Borsk of Simply Born, attended this birth. Sara sat there knitting and watchful, trusting completely the process that was unfolding a few feet away. but when sweet Gwen seemed to be lagging in taking her first breath, Sara very calmly and with incredible competence, gently suctioned her with her own mouth, clearing her airways, before handing her back to her mama, where she easily took over the new job of breathing for herself. Homebirth midwives may not have the benefit of all the medical technology immediately on hand, but they have their ways! :)

If you'd like to, you can also read wendy's telling of gwen's birth story here. 


birth photography :: emersyn

in ,

this isn't a recent birth, but it's a beautiful one. and i recently remixed it with my more current editing techniques implemented. so i thought i'd post some images!

you should know that this couple are the owners and operators of Your Baby Booty, which is an incredible resource for pregnant couples! they offer a series of short video interviews with various types of birth workers on a wide variety of subjects pertaining to pregnancy and childbirth. additionally, they have authored two phenomenal and incredibly witty books on the subject. please check them out if you're expecting. 

because of steve and sarah's line of work, they had done probably an above-average amount of research about birth options. and after all of that -- and with attention to their personal desires and comfort level -- they opted for a home birth with a nurse midwife, Susan Wente of Home Birth Partners. they really set the stage with a beautiful and peaceful birthing suite on the lower level of their home. it was such a gift to watch this couple partner together in their birth. 

photography note : emersyn was born a bit before midnight, in a room lit only candles! yes, it was a very challenging situation for me as a photographer. but i work with what i have, because i'm sure not going to use a flash on a woman in labor (or on anyone, ever, really). i was able to make it work, and in the end there are beautiful photos to show for it. but in cases like these, i tend to lean toward black-and-white processing to eliminate the distracting weirdness of the lighting. 

a couple weeks after her birth, i returned to their home to photograph her again. this time on her mama and daddy's bed, with beautiful light streaming in the windows and adorable headbands gracing her perfect little head. 

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and, more recently, i got to see emersyn at a mini-session sunday. she is SO not a baby anymore.  but she's just as beautiful as she was the day she was born, and still wearing adorable headbands. :)

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as a photographer, it's a joy to journey with families through these milestones... pregnancy, birth, newborn period, family life. happy sigh.