Photographing A Live Birth
This wasn’t the first time I’ve been in the delivery room during birth, but when a dear friend asked me if I was willing to be there for her to photographer her daughter Khaleesi, oh boy I was right over. Kandis was delivering her daughter at Cabell Huntington Hospital, in Huntington West Virginia, so they only allowed two people in the room during her labor. She choose me to be there over her mother so that I could document this beautiful moment in her life. The second person was her sister, who was a great helper the entire time. Their sister bond really is so strong.
Kandis was so strong for the entirety of her labor. She wanted to go as far as she could without getting the epidural. When she reached about six cementers dilated she finally received the epidural. I wanted to photograph this part because I felt as it was an important moment for a birth photographer but unfortunately we were kicked out of the room for “sterile” reasons.
As a Kanawha county photographer, it’s always nice to get to travel to different areas and cities to do my work. It’s a pleasure keeping things ever-changing in my business while also serving my clients.
The doctors had to break the water sack since Kandis was being induced. She needed a lot of support for this since her epidural hadn’t started working yet. Her sister as always helped and held her hand for what felt like the whole labor process. The pictures I have focusing on their sisterhood before baby’s arrival are some of the sweetest I think i’ve ever taken.
At this moment is when I decided I needed to be a Birth Photographer. I love being a newborn photographer and capturing the sweet tiny moments but this, was something else. Something so special and beautiful on a different level. The nurses were so helpful and kind too. We weren’t sure when baby Khaleesi was going to finally make her way. It was November 1st and the clock was ticking close to midnight.
Baby Khaleesi was moving down slowly and turning which was good, but we needed a little more. They steadied Kandis is an awkward position so Khaleesi could drop down faster. About 15 minutes later it was time for her to start pushing. Although Kandis’s body was to push, we had to wait on her doctor. At this point it was 12:03 November 2nd. Finally, her doctor came.
At 12:05 AM baby Khaleesi was here. After the doctors cleaned everything and Kandis and her baby was settled, it was time for golden hour. To most photographers golden hour is when the sun is setting, but to a birth photographer golden hour is the hour where mom and baby have skin to skin alone time. Being a motherhood, birth, and infant Photographer has really changed my world. There’s nothing I could appreciate more than a mothers power, and being able to capture it all. Infant photos are something we dont think about as often as we should, but the first few weeks of your baby’s life will absolutely fly by.
But at the end of the night, we had a full family and happy healthy baby in this world.
I can’t believe I get to take baby photos as a career, and watch motherhood form. I love everything I do with a burning passion, and being a birth and baby Photographer is definitely the best one.
