This was the third baby caught by their midwife, and she happens to be the midwife who caught three of mine as well! (This family birthed with her first and introduced me to her midwife so safe to say we feel deeply indebted to them for this, among many other reasons!)
I love how our midwife invites the older children to be involved in both the prenatal exams and the newborn exam, welcoming their questions and helping them feel a part of the day.
So much of a birth story is remembered in the little details - the coping techniques, the music, the birth timeline this dad was keeping, the tiny hat the big sister had made to welcome her new baby sister, the delicious soup afterwards, the birth day cupcake, pictures drawn by the oldest daughter, the tub running for the bath. I love to capture those details so that someday when this baby is older she'll be able to see all the beautiful aspects of her birth story.
Almost five years ago I was called one evening and invited to attend the sweet, beautiful birth of the handsome little guy in these photos. Earlier this week I received a similar message one evening asking me to return for the arrival of a new baby into this wonderful family. I can't remember this birth without smiling! They are an absolutely amazing family and I am so grateful to have them in my life.
As you can see, these older siblings were overwhelmed by seeing their parents working so perfectly together to bring this new life into the world. We checked to see how they were handling things and through their tears these sweet girls told us how proud they were of their mom. It brought tears to all of us in the room!
If you are local then come check out the waterbirth workshop being presented free for the community by a visiting midwife from the UK. You can download the PDF at this link:
It's Thursday evening, September 26th at the Emily Fowler Central Library community room in Denton. It will be 6:30 to 8:30pm and you can RSVP to birthpower1@verizon.net or (940) 483-1569.
I love visiting with families as they settle into life with their new addition - the snuggles and tiny squeaks, the sweet expressions and sleepy sighs. I adore new babies, and I'm blessed by the chance to hold these little miracles.
I also met this couple through the childbirth class I help teach & was their doula. Because I attend births primarily in my hometown I'm fortunate to run into clients all over town & see their little ones grow. This sweet family was so much fun to work with, and you can read their birth story on their website here.
I like to stay in touch with my clients as they get closer to their estimated due date, and especially as they go past that date. I know they are probably being bombarded with phone calls, texts, and emails every day from loving family and friends all asking, "Is the baby here yet???" I don't want to add to that stress, but I do ask my clients to please feel free to contact me at any point and give me an update. If I don't hear from them in a couple days during that final stretch I may send a text just to let them know I'm thinking about them and ask how they are doing. So I had been in touch with this beautiful mom, and she was keeping me posted on how contractions were going over the last few days. I was reading in bed late one night (my husband already asleep) when I got "the call" - and when it's the husband calling instead of the mom I know things are serious! I was out the door fast, quietly sneaking out so as to not wake Kit or the kids. The birth was smooth and amazing, and I was back home before my household even woke up! And in perfect time to celebrate, as it was my husband's birthday.
When attending the Birth Stories 101 workshop I learned countless fantastic tips, but one I really loved was to try and get a photo of the baby looking at the camera. Some babies make that easy, but this little one decided to make me work for it! Despite my best efforts he was content to keep them shut, and so I took a step back and his father leaned in a bit further and spoke to the baby quietly. When he heard his dad's voice the baby's eyes popped open! He knew that familiar sound, and it was sweet to capture that interaction. I loved having the chance to attend the birth of this handsome boy.
A new little arrival with his parents - as I was editing photos the pictures of the dad's faces as he chatted with his new son were so very cute! I also loved seeing the sweet mom's expression as she watched their interactions. These are the moments I love to capture!
I'm sure I'll add to this as more come to mind or are asked again!
These are questions I receive both from prospective clients and from prospective doulas. You can read my Tips for Doulas posts here and that goes into more depth with some of these questions.
* How do you manage childcare with six children and being on call for long stretches of time with unpredictable absences from your family? Continue reading
