This beautiful mother was set to give an unmedicated intervention-free birth at HOAG in Newport Beach, and this wasn’t her first rodeo; it was baby number four. Generally, with subsequent births, you can expect a faster delivery, but this little one won the prize!

Receiving the Call

I received the call around 9 PM that she had finished triage and was now settled in her delivery room. The moment I got the news, I dropped everything and rushed over, arriving around 9:30 PM. As I stepped into the room, I found her moving gracefully, clearly focused, and in the zone, yet occasionally pausing to breathe through the intense contractions sweeping over her body.

The atmosphere in the room was electric, filled with anticipation and determination. The nurse had been tending to her needs but soon stepped out for a moment. Just then, a powerful contraction struck, causing her to bend over the bed, her face a mixture of determination and urgency, as she hollered, “I gotta push!” In that instant, my heart raced. Quickly bolting out of the room, seeking help, I spotted the first staff member in the hallway and exclaimed, “She’s pushing!” My instinct told me it was better to grab someone in person rather than rely on the intercom system, as those answering it often take their time to respond.

Baby Girl Arrives

As I came back into the room, a wave of medical personnel flooded in, ready to assist. They coordinated quickly to help her onto the delivery bed. At that moment, the OB burst into the room, still putting on her gloves. The energy was palpable—everyone understood that time was of the essence.

In a matter of minutes, less than five to be exact, the room filled with the exhilaration of new life. With just a few powerful pushes, the baby emerged, and suddenly, the air was filled with the sweet sound of a newborn’s first cry. A wave of relief and joy washed over everyone present—this was not just a birth; it was the arrival of new hopes and dreams. Witnessing that moment, the sheer strength of the mother, and the collective excitement of the staff made it an unforgettable experience. What a thrilling and poignant reminder of the miracle of life!

The post An Unmedicated Birth appeared first on BIRTH AND BEAUTY.

So 2020 has been a bit of a whammy, hasn’t it? I have really neglected my beloved blog. Being the last day of 2020, it is fitting I make this year in review type of post. The last entry was in July and so much has happened since then! I have had several maternity sessions during COVID.

With hospitals not allowing birth photographers in and birth centers doing a reduction in support people allowed to attend, I have turned my focus to three things.

Doula Certification

The first is I am in the process of getting certified as a Doula. This is something I am really excited about! It not only allows me to grow as a birth worker, but will further my skills in holding space for the laboring person and partner. What does that mean though-holding space? It simply means being physically, mentally and emotionally present without judgement. “The person who is holding space helps set the tone for a kind, curious, and judgment-free interaction where the other person can be vulnerable, and like the term says “have space.” 

Maternity Sessions During COVID

The second thing I have focused on during 2020 is studio maternity photography. Maternity sessions during COVID are alive and well. Several online courses and webinars have led me to really excel in this genre. I have also been entering images into photography competitions which is something I have never done before. Winning a bronze in the RISE International Photography Competition motivated and pushed me to excel.

Website optimization

Finally, I have worked hard on this website. If you are visiting again, you will see it is much faster loading. There was a time for most of 2020 that the website was as slow as this year was long! My invaluable website builder, Tom, has put up with endless emails and phone calls from me and, well, I am incredibly indebted to him for what you are seeing now.

I look forward to a wonderful year ahead filled with growth, love and births!

The post Maternity Sessions During COVID and other News appeared first on BIRTH AND BEAUTY.

Let me start this blog post hoping you are all doing well. I hope you are safe from the virus, enjoying your life and practicing self care. Boy, isn’t that term practicing self care  thrown around a lot and ever so important during this crisis. My hope for you is that you are  doing things that make you feel good and granting yourself grace for the things that are not going so well.

At the beginning of this pandemic, I was on call for a home birth.  I would check in with mom  making sure she was doing well and to make sure she felt I was still essential to her birth. The call came about 9pm on March 24th asking if I had been to any hospitals. I had not.  I had been self isolating because of the order and because I wanted to make sure I was healthy for the home birth. She said that she and her partner were ready for me to join them. I kissed my son goodnight and off into the empty night streets I went.  I arrived a little before the midwife, Catherine of Homebirth Services. While the powers that be may not deem my profession essential, this mother and her partner did and had enough faith in me to come and photograph the birth healthy.

This was my first quarantine baby birth. As I drove, I thought about other births where parents were not going to have the birth they wanted. They were not going to have their birth photographer, their doula and some were not even going to have their partners with them.  I let my mind wander to how this was going to affect birth. How was it going to effect birth photography as a whole?  I wondered if we would see a surge in home births.  As a birth photographer, I love home births. In most cases, they really do tell a larger story.

Here are some images of the home birth. I have also added their highlight reel. I hope you enjoy.

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