I’ve photographed many births, but this was my first time attending a birth as a doula! Prior to the birth, I had a meeting with Lindsey and Tim about working with them as my first doula client. While I realize that every birth is different, I wanted to get a feel for what it would be like to offer both birth services to one client. They agreed that their priorities placed the doula role above photography, and we moved forward with that in mind.
Lindsey had a goal of not only having a drug-free birth, but she also didn’t want to get to a place where she felt like asking for pain relief, either. That can be a pretty tall order for any mother during transition, but I’m happy to report that while she might have had some pretty expressive looks from time to time, she never asked for an epidural and I don’t think she ever said “I can’t do this.” She knew she could. We had spent time working on relaxation techniques and breaking the fear-tension-pain cycle, so it was really enlightening to see her start her contractions by gripping our hands as hard as painfully possible, to working into a position of calmly breathing through them. She handled labor beautifully, and surprised everyone with her speedy progress. By the time the nurse came to check her, she told her she “was complete” and Momma’s reaction was either confusion or shock. 😉
The Labor and Delivery at her hospital doesn’t allow birthing in the water, so we got her moved to the bed and within a few contractions, things shifted quickly! She curled up on her side and held my hand and soon let out a shriek. The nurse and I knew this was it and both scurried around the other in realization that baby was coming now, without the midwife! Lindsey had told me the only photo she really, really wanted was when the baby was born and gender announced… even if that meant that she didn’t have any physical doula support during the delivery. Fate would have it that I had to let go of her hand in the midst of a crazy moment and try to get the one image she hoped for. I’m so glad she had her husband by her side the whole time and I was only playing a secondary support!
As the nurse and I were figuring out what was what in the midst of an extremely dark room, the baby’s head was born and the midwife walked in! It was quite a roller coaster, and I’m sure the kind nurse won’t soon forget Miss Anna or her birth. 😉 We were then able to quickly turn on some lights and see what was going on, and I was able to capture Lindsey’s amazing reaction to learning she had a daughter! (After two boys, this was quite the surprise!)
Witnessing a life entering this world never gets old…. a baby taking it’s first breath is miraculous no matter how many times you’ve seen it. But those moments after, when a family is meeting for the first time… literally forming in the moment… those are moments that I don’t have words for. Blessed. Just, blessed.