The Birth Year - Doula Care and Birth Photography

16/09/2020

Betty had a pretty rough ride during her birth. Physically she feels well now but she is finding it difficult to mentally process the fact that she had a major haemorhage a couple of hours after the birth which came completely by surprise. Her partner had been told to go home due to covid 19 restrictions within an hour of the baby's birth so she was alone when she began to bleed heavily. She lost 2 litres of blood and ended up in the operating theatre to stop the bleeding.The hosital staff were great, supervised her baby, gave her medication to control the bleeding and arranged a blood transfusion for her.

She had no support from her partner because he had reluctantly gone home. When he was summoned to return, he was met by his partner hooked up to various drips and was handed his baby by a stranger. He too was in shock and worried for his partner.

Betty was exhausted. She tried to breastfeed several hours after the haemorrhage but felt too weak. Her iron levels were extremely low. She was discharged over a couple of days and spent most of the time feeling detatched from her baby and replaying the events over and over in her mind.

Family and friends arrived and heard her birth story. The response was "the main thing is that the main is healthy" Of course Betty was overjoyed that she brought home her baby alive and well but noone asked her if she was ok.

Betty doesn't want to have any more babies. She doesn't want to go through that again. She hasn't spoken to anyone and now feels she may have postnatal depression.

Betty has birth trauma
Betty matters too

It's birth trauma awareness week. The birth trauma association support parents who have suffered from a traumatic birth

17/04/2020

20/03/2020

The current Covid-19 crisis does not discriminate, however some of us are more vulnerable than others. This is particularly true for pregnant women. As health care workers we need to ensure that we are able to continue to perform our vital roles and support and contribute to a safe birthing environment. Please help our Midwives and Doulas by keeping your family home and avoid interaction within the community. We are doing the same. Feel free to share this message.

19/03/2020

And just like that, she was a mama to a son and a brand new daughter.

Did you find out the s*x of your baby? Or did you keep it as a surprise?

For my first 3 births, I kept it as a surprise. I liked having a "reward" of finding out after I worked so hard through labor. In my fourth pregnancy, I knew I was carrying identical twins but didn't want to find out the s*x. We had to see a Perinatologist for regular ultrasounds and clinic appointments and at one visit, he casually asked what whether we had boys or girls at home and we told him proudly that we had 3 boys. He blurted out, "well you better paint the nursery pink!" And that's how we found out what we were having or that pregnancy. For my fifth and final pregnancy, we kept it a surprise.

12/03/2020

Relax. Surrender. Open.

What affirmations did you use in labor? Did you find them helpful at all?

My go-to affirmation I repeated over and over in my mind while riding the contraction waves was, "relax, surrender, open."

06/03/2020

The first look. Do you remember the first time you looked at your brand new baby? When you got a really good look at the perfect, tiny details? When you searched their entire tiny body and discovered that they have your nose or your partner's ears or grandpa's distinct chin?

What do you remember most about your first good look at your baby?

27/02/2020

Do you remember your baby's newborn exam?

Somewhere around an hour or so after birth, your baby will have a newborn exam. The midwife or Dr. will check for several reflexes, listen to the heart, measure the length of the body and the circumference of the head and weigh your baby among a few other well-being checks.

I vaguely remember my babies' newborn exams. In fact, one of the only real memory I have is from a picture my doula took while my midwife was checking my daughter over. What I wouldn't give for more pictures from this time.

This is why Birth Photography is so important. The details from the newborn exam can be documented to remember forever. What an amazing gift for you, your partner and one day for your child as you share their birth story with them.

21/02/2020

Nitrous oxide aka laughing gas: a tool to help ride the contraction wave.

Did you use nitrous oxide with your labor? Did you find it helpful?

As a doula, I've witnessed it work very well with helping my clients get through labor should they decide to use it. It often becomes their best friend and they are super reluctant to give it up when it's time to push out their baby.

14/02/2020

Do you remember how you just couldn't stop staring at your beautiful new baby? How it felt to gaze at the face you created and grew from scratch? How you completely melted when your baby looked at you with eyes that said, "hello, so that's what you look like." ❤️

Show me a picture of the face you are staring at tonight.

06/02/2020

Is there anything better than watching your partner love on your baby? The way this little baby looks so protected in her daddy's big, strong arms 😍

Show me a picture of your partner loving on your baby.

31/01/2020

Do you have a picture of this moment?

The moment you get to finally meet the baby you have been dreaming about for months is EVERYTHING! And it is why Birth Photography is so important!

Sadly I don't have a picture like this for my first 2 births but I'm so incredibly thankful that I do have pictures capturing this moment from my last 4 births. They are seriously my most treasured keepsakes ❤️

I would love to see your pictures celebrating this moment! Please post them in the comments below.

30/01/2020

Slowly, slowly- we’re finding our way back. Slowly, slowly- we’re remembering what it means to honor the mother. To honor the earth. That the two are one in the same. Sacred mama. Sacred world.
Slowly, slowly- we’re returning to reverence. To community. To knowing what it means to be whole.
We’re remembering how to love.
To support
To protect
To heal
To embrace
To nurture
To nourish
To circle around the new mama, to tend to this bond, to lift up this union, to heal our ancestors and protect our future generations.
Slowly, slowly- we’re returning to the understanding that the mother is the root of us all. She is infinite and holy and fragile and whole. She is the earth embodied and she’s aching. Slowly, slowly- we’re hearing her song. Slowly, slowly- we’re coming home.

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Via —————————————————————
🎈Peaceful parenting resources: http://t.co/T8goym3P6Z 🎈
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*xualassaultsurvivor
www.LRKnost.com
Fighting a rare, incurable cancer, but I'm still here!💞 L.R.

27/01/2020

So beautiful ❤

25/01/2020

This beautiful FTM had such an amazing birth story! I arrived at her house shortly after the midwife. She had been checked and confirmed to be only 1cm dilated despite having STRONG and very close together contractions. The midwife left for the hospital as she had another client in labor there. Her husband and I drew her a bath and that provided a small amount of relief for about half an hour. Once she got out of the bath, it became clear with her vocalizations that she was close to having her baby. I quickly texted the midwife to let her know we were coming in asap and to be ready! We made the 30 min drive to the hospital as quickly and safely as we could. 😃 When we arrived, the midwife and two wonderful nurses were waiting for us. They swiftly got us into a room and then just like that, she powerfully roared her baby earthside like the fierce goddess she is! It was a whirlwind birth and only a few hours from start to finish! This birth story is a great example of how unpredictable birth can be and a great reminder that no matter how much we know about birth in general, we know nothing about a particular birth. ❤️

21/01/2020

What was your first thought when you met your new baby?

Mine were...
Silas - He's so big! How did I grow such a big baby (9lbs 6 oz)
Tayven - OMG I can't believe that happened so fast! (My water broke and I barely had time to get my pants off before he was coming)
Zaniel - I did it! (So happy to have a successful home birth)
Genaya and Nateja - They're finally here! I've got my girls! (My twin pregnancy navigating through the medical system was so much harder than their birth)
Violet - I love her so much!! (My sweet surprise girl I didn't envision having but couldn't imagine life without)

10/01/2020

Full hands. Full heart. ❤️

31/12/2019

The smile that flickers on a baby’s lips when he sleeps- does anyone know where it was born? Yes, there is a rumour that a young pale beam of a crescent moon touched the edge of a vanishing autumn cloud, and there the smile was first born in the dream of a dew-washed morning.

~ Rabindranath Tagore

art by Amanda Greavette

31/12/2019

2019 was a beautiful year. I couldn't be more thankful for the rich beauty and magical births that filled this year.

To the families that I spent quick and exciting mornings with, long and sleepless nights with, welcomed illuminating sunrises with, enjoyed breathtakingly beautiful sunsets with, shared hugs and tears and high fives with, laughed with, cried with and celebrated with - THANK YOU!

It was definitely a year to remember. The memories will forever be etched in my heart. I'm beyond grateful to have been invited to walk alongside each and every one of you on your birthing journey.

I am waiting for one more 2019 due date so the year might not quite be done yet. We'll see what the last day of the year brings! Maybe one more magical birth! ❤

21/12/2019

Post-birth snuggles ❤️❤️❤️ There is nothing like the blissful oxytocin high of meeting the tiny human you helped make. These first few hours after birth are some of the most magical of your life ✨

19/12/2019

Partner support.
In labor, the support of a loving partner can be remarkable. Often, partners say they don’t know what to do to help, they want to learn tricks, they assume there are special things they need to learn to be able to support their beloved during labor. They want help! While there are some things I can share to boost their confidence and improve their overall competence, what will help MOST of all they already have inside them.
What helps most is their love.
No childbirth teacher is going to be able to teach them that!
So partners...show up. Be present. Express your awe at the power and surrender it takes to birth a baby. And envelope your beloved in the deep truth of your profound love. (Remembering that not all laboring people want to be physically embraced. Follow their lead about what kind and how much touch is supportive to them.)

・・・
Gorgeous shot captured by ❤️

28/11/2019

Hello! Let's get to know each other! My name is Jennifer. My roots are set in the Pacific Northwest Canada where I am married to my high school sweetheart and together we have six amazing kids - 3 boys and 3 girls, an old, grumpy orange tabby cat and a very energetic blue heeler who is always up for an adventure. I adore them all so much and feel blessed to be journeying through life with these gorgeous souls. I am way more into collecting moments than things. I value authentic connections. Gardening and spending time in nature makes my heart sing. Morning coffee is my favourite time of day - fuel for life's adventures. I am a storyteller of babies being born earthside and women being born into mothers. I empower women through support and normalizing birth. I enjoy working with connected and sentimental individuals who embrace the transformative and empowering beauty of childbirth, desire to have a fulfilling birth experience, and value the gift of photography freezing time to enjoy forever. I am beyond grateful to have a profession that is my Life's calling.

Tell me a little bit about you... I'd love to hear where you are from, what brings you here and what fills your heart...

20/11/2019

These parents had been waiting to meet her for months, imagining what she looked like, feeling her movements and wondering things like, "how much hair will she have," "will she have my eyes," and "how much will she weigh."

And then suddenly she was here and they couldn't stop staring, taking in how perfect she was, and memorizing every last detail of her.

I love how this photograph documents the details of this moment and freezes it in time...

Mom gazing at her beautiful little girl and gingerly touching her cheek.

Dad leaned in close to get a good look at his precious daughter for the very first time.

The bright blood in the water indicating a very recent birth.

The midwife in the corner, feeling the cord and checking if it's still pulsating.

13/11/2019

Birth can be intense and powerful but it can look like this...peaceful and serene. Labour is a beautifully designed process. Contractions come and go in waves where we work hard and then we have space in between where we rest. This beautiful couple just had a few more waves to work through until they welcomed their second daughter into the world.

05/11/2019

Oh hello there sweet baby girl covered in birthday frosting ❤️

30/10/2019

Just seconds old and she couldn't stop staring at her mom ❤️

16/10/2019

After 9 months of waiting and dreaming about what your baby will look like...
Hours of sinking into sensations and roaring through the waves...
Moments of doubt and saying, "I'm not sure I can do this anymore..."
Digging deep and giving more of yourself than you thought you had...
And then, she is here, pressed close, her heart beating against your heart...
Exhilarating. Transcendent. Spiritual. Ecstatic. Breathtaking. Beautiful.

10/10/2019

Happy !

Todays date of the 10th month and the 9th day is considered "birth photography day" because of the connection to the birth process. 10 (cm dilated) and 9 (how many months the average pregnancy lasts).

How lucky am I that I get to attend births as a living!? Seriously, it is not lost on me how blessed I am to have a job that is so heart fulfilling. To be invited to support birth as a doula and capture birth stories as a birth photographer is such an honour. Thank you to all the families who have welcomed and trusted me to walk alongside them through their birthing journey ❤️

I love it when partners want to be involved in catching their baby! And I love it when amazing midwives help facilitate it to happen. Grow Midwifery- Tanya Lindstrom & Kristi Mintz Kristi Rose Mintz

08/10/2019

❤❤❤

01/10/2019

Transition. The intensity of this moment. The connection between this couple. ❤️ He held her hand through every contraction and his grounded strength helped her bring their baby Earthside. Birth can bond couples in an incredible way.

I fell more in love with my husband after every baby we had. The journey through pregnancy and birth bonded us in a way like nothing else could ever.

Did you feel more bonded with your partner after your birth?

24/09/2019

Newly born babies recognize voices and presence instantly. This big brother is mesmerized by the way his brand new little brother looks up at him with instant recognition. It was a magical moment to witness 💖