The First Birth I photographed - A VBA3C Rainbow baby named Eliza
They immediately felt like family when I sat down with April and Jake for our doula consultation. These people, who I had never met before, shared their story as we talked about the painful and beautiful journey that brought them to their 5th pregnancy after a devastating full-term loss with their 4th child. We laughed, cried, and chatted for so much longer than I typically do at consultations. I was hooked!
April had had 3 Cesarean births then a VBAC after 3 Cesareans (VBA3C) with her angel baby, who passed away in utero when she was full term. They were planning on another VBA3C for this pregnancy and knew they wanted a doula to support them in what was sure to be an emotional journey.
During their pregnancy, I decided I wanted to be a birth photographer. I have always taken pictures with my cell phone at births I attended, ever since my first birth. As someone who had a birth photographer during my deliveries, I knew how special it is to have pictures of the moment you first meet your baby, so, with permission, of course, I have always busted out my cell phone at the moment of birth and snapped away. I would joke that I would take 500 images, and there would certainly be a few good ones. It was definitely time to level up my photography game.
April and Jake were more than happy to let me photograph their birth story when I had moments to spare between doula support. One evening, they updated me that labor had started, and they were coping beautifully at home. She labored all night by herself and called me in when they were ready for more support at the hospital.
When I first walked in, I noticed the giant teddy bear. Their angel baby had a mini version made for them by Molly Bears. When their son saw this enormous size, he got it to send with mom and dad to the hospital. It was the perfect companion as she labored and a huge hit with all the hospital staff. April progressed well and was coping beautifully; after being up all night and laboring all day, she decided to get an epidural so she could rest.
I have to recognize the wonderful staff at Mt. Timpanogos hospital that supported April and Jake in making informed decisions during their pregnancy and delivery. When she was 9cm dilated, her labor slowed, and she was at a 9 for several hours. The hospital staff started mentioning a Cesarean, and they were given a time limit of one more hour to see any change before they decided to intervene. Even when they chose a path that was not routine, they supported them in their choice. They both did an incredible job advocating for themselves and honoring their intuition during this process.
In that one hour, we got busy! Both parents gave sweet but stern talks to April’s belly, we said a collective prayer, and we busted out all the tricks I had to help the baby and body progress. At the moment of birth, tears and the sweetest energy overpowered the room. When the moment came to decide whether to do a Cesarean or keep laboring, the baby had dropped lower in the pelvis! Everyone was so excited, including the nurses and OB on call. It wasn’t long after that that their sweet angel baby Eliza was born vaginally.
This incredible family overcame SO much to bring sweet Eliza into this world. In fact, at The VBAC Link, we interviewed April as she shared her whole journey with us. You can find her full VBA3C story on the podcast.
It was a perfect birth story and the best family to have as the first birth I officially documented.
