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!  

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!  :)

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!

I can't believe I'm so behind on blogging!  This family welcomed a little sister to their crew back in December.  It was a fast, hold-on-for-dear-life, kind of delivery.  The midwives arrived just a few minutes before baby!  Despite the quick arrival, the welcoming of this new soul was slow, sweet, and peaceful.   But I'll let you see that for yourself.  :)    Congratulations to Mommy, Daddy, and Big Sister!  Thank you for letting be be a part of such a special day.  

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Birth is such an incredible event.  I am so thankful that I was asked to capture the day this family met their little girl for the first time because the dad and mom are the ones who caught their daughter!  It was so sweet and so emotional.  This woman's face when she holds her little girl for the first time gets me everytime I watch their video.  It was such a beautiful moment for their family and it was an honor to be a part of it. 

This sweet girl was sure in a hurry to get here!  We came right when she called and well still almost missed it.  I'd say we've got another strong and determined little girl in our midst!  :)  It would be more than fair to say that she gets it from her mom.  This lady acted like a pro at this labor thing, fast and furious though it was.  It was amazing to witness such a peaceful labor!  

There's something about getting to be with your best friend when she delivers her baby--I'm not sure I've been more excited about a birth since I had my own babies!  The lady was with me, supporting me with my babies and I'm so glad I was able to be there with her while she labored to bring her little one earthside.  Labor is hard work, but when we are surrounded by those who love us, encourage us, and support us, it makes the work less overwhelming.  This is a birth story that I will treasure always because this family means so much to me, so I hope you enjoy watching this incredible woman on the day she welcomed her little man into their family!