I was heading back from my newborn mentoring classes out of state when this Puyallup mom called to schedule her newborn photo session at my studio.  The reception was going in and out and I had to find a rest stop with wi-fi to finally work out all the details, however I am so glad she trusted me to bare through the dropped calls and book her newborn baby session!  Just days after I arrived back to my Sumner natural light studio she brought this perfect brand new bundle of joy to have her first photos captured.  They especially requested lots of images with mom and dad; I was more than happy to oblige as these are some of my favorite and most cherished images I have with my own little ones.  During the session we had a chance to chat more about this sweet little girl’s arrival and mom was happy to let me share that with you all too:

After a previous miscarriage, we were ecstatic to be pregnant with our little rainbow baby. We were grocery shopping when we got the phone call to tell us we were having a baby girl. I immediately started crying and Keryzz had a big smile on his face. The reality of our little family was coming true!

Pregnancy seemed to come easy for me. I didn’t have too much morning sickness or food aversions. I remember wanting protein shakes and hamburgers. I enjoyed the excuse to take an afternoon nap everyday!

I had my heart and mind set on having a baby at the Birthing Inn in Tacoma. I was determined (and maybe a little stubborn) to do things my way and to do it with the least amount of medical interventions as possible. Women have been giving birth for centuries and I wanted that unique, natural experience for myself. In order to safely give birth outside the hospital, this meant that I needed to be very diligent on what I ate, how much weight I gained, and careful monitoring of my blood pressure. I held my breath when it came time to do the gestational diabetes testing. When it came back positive, my heart sank – this put me at more risk of having a hospital birth. Luckily, we got through it with minimal medical influence and I was still on track for the Birthing Inn.

My midwife was leaving to go out of town two days before my due date. We took the hint that baby girl wanted to stay put and we made a plan to just relax and enjoy pregnancy for the next week. The hesitation was that this would push me closer to 41 weeks but my midwife would be back shortly after that determined we would do all we could at the center before we made the call to have a medical induction. I felt that we had hit another speed bump that could potentially send me to give birth in a hospital. So that week, I relaxed in our lovely summer sunshine! Baby and I just enjoyed each other while we had this last moment connected as one.

On Thursday, July 21, (5 days past due date) Keryzz and I went for a drive around town in the sunshine. It seemed that I would have a few contractions here and there when we would drive in the car but they would stop if we got out and walked. I would have a few contractions that were painful, but they still didn’t have a pattern to them. So, we decided to go to a movie to keep my mind off of it. After, went to meet my parents for dinner and as I got out of the car at the restaurant, my water broke spilling everywhere in the parking lot. The midwife filling in for mine advised me to just rest and see if contractions would stabilize into a pattern. If not, I would have to go to a hospital – anxiety rose now that the idea of a hospital could become a reality. I accepted that we needed to do whatever was necessary and safe for the baby even in that meant giving birthing in a hospital.

Baby girl decided this was the moment she was waiting for! I had horrible pains that kept me awake all night long. Friday, July 22 (6 days past due date), it was a stormy, rainy day. In the early morning, we drove to the birthing center to see how far along I was – 4 cm. We decided to stick around the area and drive around since my body seemed to have contractions best while I was in the car. I had my go bag in the car, just like every book I read said to, that was packed with every snack and drink we could need. You would think I packed for a week long trip! Keryzz was a great support during the long hours of sitting in the car. He encouraged me through each contraction and helped hold my death grip when the painful ones came.

The stormy morning gave way to a beautiful, sunshine-filled, day. By 11:30 am, I was in such pain and my contractions were roughly 2 minutes long and coming fast. We drove back to the center to see how far along I was. By noon, I was soaking in the warm birthing tub and was at 7 cm. We were surprised, and relieved, that baby and I made that much progress in that short amount of time. Keryzz was the only person with me at the center and never left my side. Being the over prepared person that I am, I had a print out of my birth plan that had a column of phrases and cues for Keryzz to try if and when we needed them. Everything went so smoothly and naturally that the birth plan paper never made it out of the car! Keryzz was the perfect support person and stayed calm through every stage.

Finally, Malia was born at 3:18 pm in the tub. She emerged with the biggest pouty lip on her face! She arrived weighing in at 8 lbs 5 oz and 21 inches long, surprising both Keryzz and I since we thought she was smaller. For me, timing of the day went by in a blur. When I finally realized just how long I was in labor, I was shocked that it was short. As a first time Mom and with the multiple speed bumps we had this pregnancy, I was expecting something much different. We rested as a family in the beautiful natural lighting of the room taking in this beautiful, miracle of a baby and the empowering experience we all just went through. 

Thank you so much for sharing your story with us!

Are you expecting a little one?  Take a peek at my newborn gallery and get in touch via the contact form above or email for current availability.  I take a limited number of newborn sessions each month to allow flexibility if your little bundle should arrive early/late and so that I can create something truly special just for you. Now booking fall/winter 2016 – limited space for October due dates (although you can always check for last minute availability when the time comes). Book now to ensure availability for your brand new baby – these moments are fleeting and the pictures will last a lifetime!