All births are special to me.  I'm always deeply honored to be invited into another woman's birth space and trusted to capture the story of the day.  But this birth was extra special because it was a fellow midwife, birthing her first baby, and she asked me to come and be a part of her journey.  

You can attend as many births as you want, but there is nothing that can fully prepare you for your first labor.  There are so many unknowns--what will labor contractions feel like?  How long will it last?  What techniques will help me most?  All of these things must be figured out as you journey through the labor and work your way toward delivery--even for a midwife who has attended many, many other births!  Jen was phenomenal.  Her persistence, courage, sense of humor, and the incredible support system she had around her, carried her through to that joyous--and somewhat shocking!--moment of delivery.

It was a joy to be there with her!  Thank you for letting me be a part of such a special day for your family!  

It is so empowering to get to watch a woman reach down, let her baby's head fill her hands, and then pull her baby out of her body and up to her chest.  It is one of the most amazing moments in life!  

This mama worked for it.  Labor was longer than she'd thought it would be.  She kept having these long breaks at the end, too.  At one point she said, "I feel like this is taking forever."  But she had the most amazing support system.  She had her husband by her side giving both physical and emotional support.  The way he would look at his wife while she was working to bring their baby earthside almost brought me to tears a couple of times.  She had several of her friends at her house.  They were making food, running errands, and helping with the older siblings.   She also had her online supporters who were watching the live stream and cheering her on along the way.  She had her midwife and birth team making sure she and baby were doing fine.  She was held up on all sides and so was able to focus on doing the work of labor.  

She looked gorgeous while doing it and now has a gorgeous little girl to share this life with.  Congratulations, Teller family!!  What a beautiful day this was.  I'm so thankful that I got to be a part of it.  <3

If there is anything predictable about birth, its that it is unpredictable.  

Bethany had been having some contractions for awhile, but they weren't seeming to progress to the real deal.  And then they stopped all together.  And then they started...and stopped.  So when they started again, Bethany called and said they were going to head into the birth center, but she wasn't sure where she was or if she was ready for me to come.  It might still be awhile.  I volunteered to meet her there and leave again if she wanted me to because it sure sounded to me like she was going to have a baby.  

Sure enough, just a couple hours after arriving at the birth center, her baby girl was born--it was such a beautiful delivery!  Laboring women are simply stunning, and Bethany was every bit of gorgeous as she brought her little girl out of the water and to her chest.  Congratulations, Sams family!!  Thank you for letting me be a part of your little girl's birth day.  

Make sure you watch the slideshow at the end to see more from this beautiful girl's big debut!  

This is my favorite newborn film I've made yet!  I made the whole film black & white as part of a monthly video challenge that I'm part of and I LOVE IT.  I love the classic look it gives the film.  I love how all of the details seem to stand out even more in black & white.  

And of course it was a joy to get to see this family of three again.  In just 24 hours little Garnet had already changed!  It's so crazy how fast that happens!  This film was a surprise for them, as they were willing to let me video their 24 hour postpartum visit to use in an informational video I was working on, but I'm so thankful I got to capture these moments for them!  Those newborn days are so sweet and so fleeting, but now they have a film to help them remember it all!  

I can't tell you how amazing it was to be with this couple as they welcomed their first little baby into the world!  They were so incredible throughout the labor--the teamwork these two have is out of this world!  And this mama listened to her body and moved and found the right positions to help her baby come out like she had done it before or something.  I asked her after the delivery what she thought had been the biggest help to her and she said the childbirth classes she'd taken (she had taken both a Bradley Childbirth class and a Hypnobirthing Childbirth class).   Her birth affirmations were hand-created by her and kept her focused throughout the labor.  Her husband was by her side and was THE BEST daddy doula I've ever seen, whispering words of encouragement and giving her both the physical support and the space she needed to bring their baby into the world.  I'm telling you guys---It was a BEAUTIFUL thing to watch!!!  So welcome, sweet Garnet!!  It was so inspiring to be a part of your {birth} day! 

This is mostly a photography slideshow with little bits of video added in, so I'm not going to post as many pictures as usual.  I'll let you watch the slideshow to see them!  :)

What a privilege is was to be with this lady as she welcomed her two little girls into the world.  I was fortunate enough to be a part of her last pregnancy when I was working as a student midwife, so to see her again was a real treat!  Unfortunately, a cesarean birth was not what she had been hoping for throughout her pregnancy, but due to health complications and the babies positions it was determined to be the best course of action for everyone's safety.  These little girls came out a-screaming!  They were feisty and ready to meet their mommy!  It was such an honor to get to be a part of this exciting day and to document this family welcoming TWO new sisters into their loving home.  Happy {birth} day, Moriah and Eden!   

Most of you know how much I love this family, so it will come as no surprise to you that I had a blast hanging out with them and taking some family photos for them!  I think they may have had as much fun as I did, too.  :)  

I am so excited to share this birth sneak peek with you this morning! This mama was amazingly strong, powerful, and kept working her way through the unpredictability of birth with the support and encouragement of a rock star birth team! This is just a sneak peek of that day!

My daughter turned 8 last month and to celebrate her birthday we made a little video of her reading and "starring in" one of her favorite books.  I hope you have as much fun watching it as we did making it!  

I completely love photographing births!  It is one of my favorite things to do and I LOVE hearing the new mommy's reactions when they see the images and films from their delivery.  There are no words to express how rewarding of a job it is! 

But in case you aren't so familiar with it, I made this little "magazine" to tell you more about what I do and the options that are available with Growing Wings Birth Films.  I hope you enjoy it and please  contact me with any questions you have!