I tell people often that birth photography isn’t just crowning shots and bodily fluids. In fact, it may not include any of the actual moment of birth at all! Birth story photography takes as many forms as birth itself. For this family, it was all about the interlude. It wasn’t a climactic build up to the moment of birth, but a slow and steady display of a family’s love.
I’m a sucker for helping strangers and I get flack for it. But where photography is concerned, it’s never steered me wrong. I could not be happier that I made the acquaintance of Baby M’s parents just when I did. I met Michelle in a local moms Facebook group. She commented on a post saying that she wished birth photography was in the cards for her family. Her due date was nearing rapidly and, because of medical circumstances, she was being put under general anesthesia for her cesarean. She lamented that she wouldn’t remember the birth or see her husband, Omar, meeting his son for the first time. So as you’ve probably guessed, I volunteered to be there that day to make sure she had those memories – at least indirectly. And they are some of my favorite images to date!
After a false start the day before her scheduled section, we met up again at UCHealth. During the prep time I got to know more about them and they about me. Michelle is one of those people who is bursting with wisdom and happy to share. It seems like everything I was thinking about, she had a great lead on or a fun anecdote. I really enjoyed the short time we chatted and I also found out more about the medical situation that led her to the OR that day. This amazing woman had brain surgery THREE TIMES in one year! Though healthy now, she was advised to be put under general anesthesia because the risk of having to administer anesthetic via the spine was too great. A migraine the previous day had spooked everyone and it was even more important to get this little guy out for mom and baby’s sake. Before we knew it, she was prepped for surgery and kissing Omar goodbye.
A change of pace from my usual, Baby M’s birth story would revolve largely around Daddy. And what a beautiful thing that turned out to be! Omar is an exceptionally devoted husband and father. He took care of Michelle lovingly before and after the surgery. The second baby M arrived in the room he was determined to be there for him however he could. When the physician said that they needed to resect the cord further, Omar jumped in and asked to cut it since he wasn’t able to in the OR. It was a really cool perspective to see it done in an incubator. Soon the excitement cleared and he was able to have skin-to-skin time with his son. The light in the room was so beautiful as the two snuggled and dozed after an eventful 2 days. Then, when mom was having a difficult time waking from anesthesia, the decision was made to give Baby M donor milk. The staff asked Omar if he wanted a nurse to feed him or if he’d like to do it. He didn’t miss a beat and jumped right in there. They showed him how drip milk down his gloved finger and into baby’s mouth. It was another thing I had never documented in quite that way before. Everything fell into place for me to give mom some really artistic shots of this incredible interaction. I get a little teary-eyed whenever I look at them and I hope they have the same effect on Michelle.
During one of Michelle’s waking periods, it was time to meet her kiddo. The look on her face is everything! It lasted only a few moments but I think it gave her the peace she needed to rest. As I was preparing to leave, she came to again and held him for the first time. She got to feel his warmth and examine those tiny fingers. I’m so glad I didn’t miss it! She told me afterwards that the remainder of the day was still pretty foggy even after she came to. It is my sincerest hope that Michelle can look at these images and know that her baby was always in incredible hands. Even though his birth wasn’t “typical”, Baby M and family have a unique and heartfelt story to share. How incredibly loved this baby will feel to know the lengths his parents went to in order to bring him here.
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