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!

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When putting together your birth team, take your time and trust your instincts.  Interview, ask questions and talking to past clients of theirs are an important first step in this process.

The Midwife

Midwifery is an empowering, woman centered form of maternity care. Midwives may practice during a hospital birth, home birth or in a birthing center.  These trained professionals help “healthy women during labor, delivery, and after the birth of their babies”.  “Women who choose them have had no complications during their pregnancy”. Midwives can have different levels of training.

Midwife Training

There are several paths one can take to become a midwife. The three most common types of midwives are Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM), Certified Midwife (CM) and Certified Professional Midwife (CPM).

—Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM) Certified Nurse-Midwives are “registered nurses who have graduated from an accredited nurse-midwifery education program and have passed a national exam. They can practice in all 50 states and the District of Columbia”.

–Certified Midwife (CM)  The 

Certified Midwife has a background in a health related field other than nursing. CMs graduate from a  masters level midwifery education program. They have similar training to CNMs, conform to the same standards as CNMs, but are not required to have the nursing component. Only a few states permit a CM to practice.

–Certified Professional Midwife (CPM)  The Certified Professional Midwife are non-nurse midwives who have training and clinical experience in childbirth. “The CPM credential is the only midwifery credential that requires the holder to demonstrate knowledge and have experience in providing midwifery services in out-of-hospital settings”. Their education and clinical training focuses on providing midwifery care in homes and freestanding birth centers.

Here are some valuable links for further reading: Midwife Schooling and  Midwives Alliance of North America. 

The Difference between a Midwife and an Obstetrician

You may be asking yourself what the difference is between a midwife and an obstetrician.  The type of pregnancy you are having will influence whether you choose a midwife or OB.  The main difference is that midwives are trained to work with women who have normal, uncomplicated and low risk pregnancies. The obstetrician is a generalist and works with a variety of medical conditions including surgery. While this is a blanket statement, there are exceptions such as working with a midwife during a VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean).

Doula

A doula is a non-medical person who assists a woman before, during, or after childbirth.  These trained professionals provide continuous physical, emotional and educational support. Most doula-client relationships begin a few months before the baby is due. During this period, they develop a relationship in which the mother feels free to ask questions, express any fears or concerns, and take an active role in creating a birth plan. Often times the term doula refers to the birth doula, or labor support companion. However, there are also antepartum doulas and postpartum doulas.

Types of Doulas

–Birth Doula Birth Doulas “have the ability to provide comfort with pain-relief techniques including breathing techniques, relaxation techniques, massage, and laboring positions. Doulas also encourage participation from the partner and offer reassurance”.  The doula acts as an advocate for the mother to keep as close to the birth plan and specific requests as possible. The purpose of a  doula is to help women have a safe and empowering birth experience whether that be an unmedicated home birth or a Cesarean birth.

–Antepartum Doula An antepartum doula provides informational, emotional, physical, and practical support to women with high-risk pregnancies, women on bedrest or any other mom who needs extra support during pregnancy.

–Postpartum Doula The postpartum doula privdes support in the first weeks following birth. Navigating those first weeks are anything but easy for a new family. The main postpartum doula is to nurture the entire family as they transition into life with a newborn. This includes doing things to help the parent(s) feel more confident in their roles, sharing education on family adjustment. They work on a families specific needs.  A doula is not a lactation consultant or a night nurse. Those are very roles.

           Birth Photographer

Everyone in the birthing space is part of the birth team and this includes the birth photographer. Hopefully you have met with the her (or him) at least once. It doesn’t matter how great the images are, if they don’t have the energy you are looking for, it will disrupt the balance of your birthing environment. What you are looking for is entirely individualized. Some mothers do not mind everything being photographed, while others are far more private.  Just like the other members of your birth team, take your time and ask questions.

Where to find a birth photographer

–Word of Mouth While most people know someone who has given birth, not everyone has used a photographer. Asking around is a great place to start, but remember if another mother swears by so-and-so, that doesn’t mean they will be perfect for you. That’s where taking your time comes in.

–IAPBP The organization is the International Association of Professional Birth Photographers. You can look for photographers in your given area easily. These are professional photographers who have a code of conduct they adhere to.

–BBH Birth Becomes Her is another resource when looking for a birth photographer.  This is also a place to find a profession photographer who has “completed the extensive Essence of Birth Online Course or has shown themselves to be a leader in their local birth community”.

–Search Engine This is where most people begin and honestly can be a great starting point.

Here is to wishing you a grand adventure in your pregnancy putting together your birth team.

If you are ready to talk about adding a birth photographer to your birth team, contact me today

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First off, let me say Happy 2019 everyone. I am so glad you found your way to my birth photography website; it is a pleasure to have you here. If you are pregnant and expecting to deliver in 2019, you are likely on your journey to put together your birth team, which hopefully includes a birth photographer.

There are so many great reasons to hire someone to document the birth of your baby. The first and best reason is that the day will go by so fast (even if you labor a long time!) and frankly you won’t be concentrating on trying to remember every little thing, your focus will be on you and your child. A birth photographer will be there to capture all those fleeting moments; ones you may not even realize happened. Birth photography gives you back a day you can relive as often as you would like, even when your sweet baby is going to college.

Birth photography can be healing too. Sometimes births can be traumatic. These births can come from the length of time one is labor, medical interventions, type of delivery or a plethora of other events. With birth photography, the mother can look back, when ready, to see what happened and can take comfort in the photography and all that day meant. It really can have a healing affect.

I don’t need to twist your arm about the value of birth photography. If you found your way here, you already see the value. This blog post is more about the top questions to ask your potential birth photographer.

My Top Questions to ask a Birth Photographer

• Will you be on call for me 24 hours a day around by due date? Babies come at every hour. More often  than not, babies come knocking at 2am, so it is vital that you have a contract between you and your photographer and that she is available 34 hours a day.

• Are they a legal business? Do they have their business license, are they insured and do you have a contract? This will tell you if you are dealing with a true professional. If something happens and they miss the birth (due to their negligence) and you have no contract and they aren’t a legal business, chances of you recouping anything are slim.

• How many births have they shot? This one is a toughie for me, but it is a question to ask. Why it is tough is that someone with a couple births under their belt can be an outstanding artist and those who have done many can be terrible. It is something good to know, but doesn’t always reflect what they are capable of. It does; however, tell you their experience in a medical setting whether it is a hospital birth, home birth or birthing center birth.

• What will you photograph? Some families are okay with all of it and some are very private and want nothing to do with photographing from “the doctors point of view”. I am very client centered which means if you ask me to stay by your head the entire time, that’s what I will do. If you want everything photographed, that is what I will do within the medical professional’s rules. The actual birth is but a very small portion of your birth story.

I am sure you will have a ton more questions to ask your birth photographer, but these I feel, are the biggies. Remember you must feel comfortable with everyone on your birth team so ask as many questions as it takes. Are you ready to start a conversation? Contact me and lets do it!

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