Preferred Wedding & Birth Photographer of Nashville TN, Fayetteville NC, & Charlotte NC
We just had to let y’all know… we have relocated! We traded the beautiful paradise of southwest Florida, for the pristine mountains of Tennessee. We love it here already, and cannot WAIT to meet our future clients here in God’s Country! “Take me home… country roads… to the place… I belong…” <3 
Homebirth is amazing. Well, ALL births are a miracle… but there is just “something” about homebirths that is just so warm and cozy and comfortable. Maybe it’s because mama and daddy are in their own personal comfort zone. Maybe it’s because when labor starts, they don’t have to pack up the car or the hospital bag. Maybe it’s because their birth support team comes to THEM, instead of the other way around. I don’t know for sure… but there is something special about homebirthing.
As the preferred birth story photographer in Nashville, I was on call for a homebirth / waterbirth. I had met with this mama and daddy, along with their adorable toddler, during a number of pre-birth consults, just like I do with all of my clients.
As the preferred Nashville birth photographer, I was on-call……for a client’s waterbirth at one of the birth centers actually in Cape Coral, FL…and the evening began with a text message from my birth client, which said something along the lines of, “I’m having contractions, but I’m just not sure if this is “it” or not…stay tuned!”
This beautiful mama had planned her baby’s birth so very well…she had her support team in place; her birth plan all set; hypnobirthing education; you name it. She and her husband chose Baby Love Birth Center as the place where they would like to bring their little one earthside. (Baby Love and the staff there are absolutely fantastic, by the way! Go check out their website…after you’re done reading this post.) So, with me being on-call, I already had my birth photography gear charged, loaded, and ready to roll at a moment’s notice. And THANK GOODNESS I did! (You’ll find out why in a minute…)
The hours continued to pass, with an update from mama every now and then. No change; her labor was continuing, and since she had prepared herself SO well with her hypnobirthing techniques, mama was able to remain calm and work with her body through each contraction as it came. Finally, another text came through, with much more urgency this time:
I quickly texted back, “I’ll meet you there! You’re doing great, mama! You can do this!” and I hopped into my already-packed car and took off for the birth center. I pulled into the parking lot. There was no one there. The lights were off; no cars screeching into the parking lot (like my husband would be if I were in labor); no signs of an impending birth whatsoever. So I got out my camera and stood outside my car in the parking lot, thinking that I would need to be ready to start shooting when they pulled into the lot (you just never know!).
Nothing was happening. Then…my phone chirped. New text message! I quickly flipped it open and saw the latest update: “Actually we’re going to Gulf Coast Hospital”.
Which is a WONDERFUL thing!! I knew the general route mama would be coming, so I knew that if they were going to Gulf Coast instead, after all of the waterbirth plans and natural midwifery care…then that pretty much means baby isn’t going to wait until they get to the birth center to make his debut! So exciting!!! It was almost time!! However, there was one slight hiccup…I was standing in the parking lot of Baby Love Birth Center…and Gulf Coast Hospital was a solid 20-25 minutes away. So back into my car I hopped, making my way as quickly as possible (while obeying all traffic safety laws of course). I pulled into the hospital parking lot, found the entrance for “Women’s Care”, grabbed my gear, and literally ran inside. I knew this was going to be a close birth, IF I even made it on time.
Ran in and eventually found (by the grace of God, a lone gentleman walked into the lobby and pointed me in the right direction…thank you, kind sir!!!) the place I was supposed to be, and went to the nurses’ station. Told them who I was, and the nurse waved me over to a curtained room in triage. And the next image is what I saw when I walked into that room…
I just ADORE the sheer bliss on mama’s face!!!!!!!!
At the end of the day, little Mr. Charlie simply had his own agenda, and he was in a bit of a hurry…and that’s TOTALLY okay! I ended up missing his grand entrance, but as you can see, we DID manage to capture some beautiful, once-in-a-lifetime memories for this amazing family of five.
And if you have any questions about the amazingness of hypnobirthing, this is a great place to start. You can also check out more birth moments on our Facebook page, and keep in touch with us by signing up for our newsletter (we promise, we won’t clutter up your inbox with a bunch of unwanted email!), by going to our website, www.NashvilleBirthPhotographer.com and entering your information at the bottom of the front page. Feel free to check out our birth photography collections while you’re there, too.
Cape Coral Birth Photography – Fort Myers Birth Photography – Lee Memorial HealthPark Hospital – Labor & Delivery Unit
Birth…such bliss.
Hard work…but so completely beautiful. It is clearly a work that was created by God Himself.
As a birth photographer, my typical evening starts by heading to my evening workout. This evening was no different. Suddenly, my phone rang. It was Stacie, my pregnant friend & birth photography client. “Shay,” she said, “I’m in labor. We’re on our way to the hospital!” Breathless and excited, I must have asked her a thousand times, “How far apart are your contractions? Has your water broken yet?” I told Stacie to go on ahead to the hospital, I would arrange childcare for my daughter and meet her there.
When I arrived at the hospital around 7:00p, Stacie was about 4cm and was walking the halls. We walked and talked for a long while, pausing for her contractions and applying pressure on her lower back. Baby was posterior, so Stacie was having some seriously difficult back labor. She progressed for awhile; 5-6cm and going strong. Then the back labor started to get much worse. Her mom, Beth, was an absolute magician with her hands and her words! She knew just where to apply pressure to ease Stacie’s back labor, and spoke with a firm, low voice that calmed Stacie at the height of so many contractions. It was a beautiful thing, to see a mother helping her daughter bring new life into the world.
Then Stacie’s husband Jake came in. He had been there earlier and had run home to pick up a few items for Stacie. Poor guy was sick…bronchitis and the whole nine yards! But he managed to tough it out (and tried not to breathe toward anyone) and even had the strength to help Stacie through a lot of her labor. He pretty much immediately took over supporting Stacie, and it was so heavenly to see a husband holding up his wife through some of the most intense hours of her life.
(And making her laugh even through contractions! )
Labor progressed. One thing that kept Stacie going through labor was her craving for a cheeseburger and vanilla milkshake! lol Too funny. Jake promised her she could have one after Baby made her debut. (I’m sure he made good on that promise!) Jake, along with myself and Stacie’s parents, went down to the cafeteria around 3:00a to grab a bite to eat, joking the entire time. This family truly cares about each other, and it really showed that night. Even in the wee hours of the morning, joking over hospital cafeteria food!
When doing birth photography, it is always such a pleasure to be able to see each family working together as a team, everyone supporting the mother. It makes my job so much easier…when everyone focuses on mom, I can do what I do best…capture memories. And Stacie was an absolute ROCKSTAR in bringing her precious one earthside!! Welcome, baby Jordynn!
You can see more of our birth photography on our Facebook page, by clicking here, or on our website, here.
Stopping time. Capturing life.