As a photographer, a mama, a new dad… you really never know where the end of the line will be on “birth day”. You can plan and plan and plan til your fingers bleed from typing up your birth plan but the bottom line is that sometimes it’s a bit out of our hands. It’s scary to think about but a fact of life nonetheless. A wonderful friend of mine (and labor and delivery nurse herself) had to play patient instead of doctor this night, and she was such an amazing example of strength and determination in the face of a hectic night of getting. that. dang. baby out!
You’ll notice that births shot at night have a bit of a different “feel” to them than those that occur during the day… This mama tried and tried with all her might to get little dude worked down into position to make his entrance but alas, he was stubborn. After hours of no progress at all, and me napping in a chair, expecting be awoken at any moment, Keaton was born ( I think?!) around 3 AM, via unplanned cesarean section. With a cord wrapped around his neck AND looped around his torso, and one kinda cone-ish head, we could see he truly gave it as much effort as his mom.
I feel very, very blessed to have been allowed in the operating room under such circumstances and I can’t thank the understanding hospital staff enough on that count. On a night when nothing really turned out the way we thought it would, I am so thankful to have been able to give my friend these photos of her little man’s first breath. One that occurred behind and blue sheet and would otherwise have been lost…
I think the first thing I said when I saw him is “Oh my gosh Amber, his hair is RED!” Was NOT expecting that one 🙂
For tips and advice on shooting births, check out the bottom of THIS post 🙂 <— clicky link
Always, always, always in awe of your work, Erin. This is no exception. Absolutely magnificent.