birth :: phoenix kai

I am definitely NOT just being trite when I say it’s one of the better parts of my job to be invited to photograph or attend a second (or subsequent) birth for a family, and/or to photograph the times in between births. Because I LOVE watching families grow over the years. This is one of those stories. 

I didn’t expect a call from Meadow when it came. It was about 4 weeks before her EDD, right on the edge of when home births can safely remain home births. She’d talked over the risks and emergency back-up plans with her midwives and had opted to stay home, knowing a transport immediately following birth was a possibility (this is because babies born before term have less mature lungs, which can lead to a need for some assistance with respiration), but hopeful that it wouldn’t be necessary. 

Rolling up to Meadow’s house after my hour drive in the middle of the night and coming in to find her littlest son snoozing on the couch — the one whose entrance I photographed nearly two years before — brought such a full circle, home-coming feeling. And Meadow was as she was last time – present and clear, hospitable and bright between contractions, welcoming each member of her birth team warmly as we trickled in. Once everyone was in their places, she surrendered to the growing intensity and got into her zone. It wasn’t long at all before she was ready for the tub and to push her baby out.

Self-directed, undisturbed, with her autonomy fully in tact and her own body wisdom dictating how every bit unfolded, Meadow powerfully birthed her tiny boy into the water. He came out breathing, crying and alert. The midwives observed him especially closely and longer than is typical, and he spent a little time with the pulse ox on, just to be sure his oxygen saturation levels were what they should be, but he was good! No transport was necessary, and by the time morning came, the whole family was tucked into bed together, relieved and blissed out. 

Midwives: Patrice Bobier and Laurie Zoyiopoulos

INTRODUCING :: BIRTH FILMS

I’m currently taking an online Birth Films Workshop with Money Nicole Moutrie! I hadn’t started the class prior to Meadow’s labor and birth, but I did take quite a bit of film footage during it, in experimental preparation for the upcoming class. I may share a couple snippets of that on IG soon. I’ll be filming another birth later this month for a client who has agreed to be my first. I’m confident that with Monet’s expert guidance I’ll have enough mastery of the video functions on my cameras to begin offering birth FILMS to interested families later on this year. So stay tuned for more on that!