Baby Tessa was my second time being officially hired as a birth photographer in Bend Oregon, and my first time getting to work side by side with my very own midwife team at a birth. I literally had to pinch myself at how lucky I was to walk into Martha’s home; already having built a relationship with her and her husband as well as her care team. Getting invited into a home birth space to document a mama’s final step into motherhood is the most magical and humbling experience as a photographer. There is so much in our culture that is taboo or kept quite about birth that really truly shouldn’t be and its my goal in this very niche industry to bring to light the way birth can be such a normal part of community life!
Every birth unfolds so uniquely; Martha was one of those quiet and focused mama’s; We all worked to keep the space calm and quiet. We rotated out to the kitchen occasionally to have quiet conversation and share excitement for how well she was progressing, we discussed how the delivery might go depending on where she chose to have her baby so that I could best prepare to capture the moment. Having experience both my own hospital birth, family member’s hospital births, and now my own home birth and clients’ home births; I’m so grateful that we have such qualified midwives in Bend Oregon that can support a home birth even in situations where small complications arise. One topic of discussion among Martha and her care team was managing a postpartum hemorrhage; one of the most common complications in birth and one that she had experienced in her first home birth. In Oregon, licensed midwives are certified to carry and use Pitocin (the prefered postpartum hemorrhage mitigation in hospital) as well as more holistic methods of supporting a hemorrhage. Martha did have a moderate hemorrhage which they controlled using a combination of tools at their disposal and Mama and baby were soon resting comfortably & we all gave a big sigh of relief and wonder.
Birth is a rollercoaster! that may seems so obvious for those who have experienced it in some way; but it never stops surprising me! When left to its own devices and for healthy mama’s and babies, it follows the literary design of a really great story. There’s rising action, anticipation, a climax or point of no return, and the falling action and conclusion of a sweet beautifully formed baby.
During a birth the roll of the birth photographer is to be a fly on the wall. In contrast to a family photography session; I will enter the space quietly and simply tell the story as it is. No prompting or posing or requesting a change other than perhaps to raise a shade slightly if mama is okay with it. My job is to be a peaceful presence, not an intrusion. Ideally I will arrive at the birth as soon as the midwives do. From there I will spend 10-15 minute chunks of time observing mama and snapping a few shots, then I will give her space again. My camera is veryyyyy quiet but I always like to do short bursts then give mama space again. No matter how quiet I am it can be tough to feel on display so I like to make that as minimal as possible. If you’re interested at all in what a birth photography package looks like, head over to my birth photography information page to learn more! https://juniperandrustphotography.com/birth-photography
