“Learn to respect this sacred moment of birth, as fragile, as fleeting, as elusive as dawn.”

~ Frederick Leboyer

What a fitting day to blog about the birth of this sweet baby girl–Labor Day.    Her amazing mama was so calm and peaceful and strong.  What a beautiful experience.  I was honored to be able to be a small part of this most incredible day in their lives.  Thank you, thank you for welcoming me and allowing me to witness your miracle.

It is also hard to believe that today a year ago I was photographing my first birth, the birth of sweet Dane.  Happy birthday, sweet boy!

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Turn up the volume and witness a small part of this sweetie’s entrance into the world.

xoxo,

laura

“When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives means the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving much advise, solutions or cures, have rather chosen to share our pain and touch our wounds with a gentle and tender hand.”

~ Henri Nouwen

I am so very excited to announce that I have joined the team of Nurturing Hearts Birth Services as their recommended East Valley photographer!    Founder and midwife Stephanie Soderblom is one amazing woman, and I am so honored that she asked me to be a part of her incredible family.

I first met Stephanie when I attended a Birth Circle meeting (truly awesome!) at NHBS when I was eight months pregnant with my second child.  I was extremely emotional as I had a rather traumatic birth experience with my first child.  I came along with a dear friend who was also pregnant with her second child and was a “client” of Stephanie’s (I hesitate using the word client because those that have Stephanie as a midwife are so much more to her.  They immediately become family.)  I was welcomed into this group of women with open arms and hearts.  I sobbed out of fear, heartbreak, nervousness and sadness.  Some teared up with me, others nodded their heads in understanding and some offered me kind words of advice and wisdom.   It was one of the first times that I met other women that viewed birth the same way as I did.   Until then, I rarely found a woman that understood why I didn’t want an epidural, or why I wanted to avoid another cesarean.  Why I wanted to be emotionally and spiritually present at the birth of my daughter, why I was actually looking forward to the surges and waves of “pain”.  Why I wanted to experience all that because I had been robbed of it before, and because I am a woman and it is nature’s gift to us.  I felt so very relieved and relaxed when I left there that night.  Before leaving, each woman in the room presented me with a small, beautiful bead and a single, powerful word as a wish for me during my birth.  I had them made into a bracelet that I wore during my entire labor and in the weeks leading up to it.  It was a great source of strength and tranquility, and I treasure it always.  My twenty-nine hours of unmedicated labor were just what I was hoping for, and it truly healed me from the sadness associated with the birth of my son.

I would encourage anyone interested in exploring their birthing options to be in touch with Stephanie.  She is such a sweetie and would be more than happy to answer any questions you might have.  I have seen her in action when I had the blessing of photographing the birth of a sweet baby boy last year.  Stephanie was the midwife and oh- so -wonderful.

I just adore photographing expectant women as they are just full of beauty and truly do have that inner glow.  It is such a beautiful and amazing time in one’s life, one that you can never get back.  I am so happy to be able to reach more pregnant women that wish to have their beautiful shapes captured forever.  I also look forward to helping them forever remember how small their little newborns were.  Such a miracle.  Such a blessing.

Thank you, Stephanie, and the NHBS family.  I look forward to photographing more beautiful women and babies on their journey.

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Here is a sneakie peekie of a baby bump from a maternity session this weekend…more of this gorgeous mama on the blog later this week! 

You can view more of my recent newborn + maternity sessions here and here, or visit my website.

xoxo,

laura

“Birth is the sudden opening of a window, through which you look out upon a stupendous prospect.  For what has happened?  A miracle.  You have exchanged nothing for the possibility of everything.”

~William MacNeile

How does one begin to describe an experience this beautiful?  I never blogged about this perfect birth experience I had the opportunity to photograph because I felt that I didn’t have the perfect words to express the beauty of it.  Perhaps there are no perfect words, though.  Miracles and some of the most raw experiences in life are indescribable, are they not?  How could you ever truly describe the beauty of holding your child for the first time, the smell of their skin or the utter smallness of their toes?  Now, try to describe someone else’s experience.  Not possible, right?

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I thought it fitting to post this slideshow during this Mother’s Day weekend.  This powerful mother amazed me with her quiet strength and brought tears to my eyes as her husband caught their baby in the water.  She labored at home in a birthing tub, surrounded by family and her supportive team (Stephanie Soderblom and Noelia Waldo of Nurturing Hearts Birth Services).  Her three daughters flowed softly in and out of the room, each experiencing the impending arrival of their brother in different ways.  There was laughter, tranquility, warmth and love. This sweet baby boy was welcomed into his family and immediately was home, in more ways than one.

Turn up the volume, sit back and experience what my eyes and heart saw and felt as I photographed the birth of sweet baby Dane.  You can view the slideshow below or full screen here. All my love, W family.  You are nothing short of amazing, Mama.

Happy Mother’s Day to you and to all the mamas out there.

Much love,

laura