Home Birth with Peaceful Pregnancy Pathways in Loxahatchee, Florida

Just LOOK at dad holding her hand, eyes on caressing her delicate shoulder.

He never left her side through her entire labor. (in the background you can see grandma and their son eagerly waiting to meet the baby, affirmations on the wall reminding her she is a warrior, she is loved)

I see these emotions in my client's partners and spouses and I have a deep desire for my own birth stories.

That's why I fight so hard for you.

So you can have what I never will.

Now you know my first why.

Enjoy this first image of a series of photos from births I attended in 2017 to see how I captured my first why for the families I work with.
#southfloridabirthphotographer
#thisismywhy

I love being a birth photographer in south Florida. I work mainly in Boca Raton, and I hands down recommend Boca Raton Regional hospital as my favorite hospital. 

The experience there is amazing. Their staff and nurses are so sweet, caring and not pushy or judgmental of your birth preferences. They are use to caring for moms who are planning a schedule cesarean as well as moms who plan on having an unmedicated, least intervention as possible hypnobirth!

Immediate Skin to Skin | Breastfeeding within one hour of birth in Boca Raton

He knew her #1 birth preference was to do skin-to-skin & breastfeed within that first hour of birth.

This doesn't always happen, and often it is due to a clerical hospital matter, such as a shift change, understaffed hospital, etc.

Often times, it isn't about the state of mom or baby's health.
He fought so hard, despite meeting so many obstacles to make it happen for her. 
This is baby's successful first latch with only the help of daddy.

Shout out to all the hero dads out there who fight so hard for their babies and partners.

As a birth photographer in Coral Springs and Boca Raton, I see these emotions in my client's partners and spouses and I have a deep desire for my own birth stories.

That's why I fight so hard for you.
So you can have what I never will.

Now you know my first why.

Enjoy this first image of a series of photos from births I attended in 2017 to see how I captured my first why for the families I work with.
#southfloridabirthphotographer
#thisismywhy

First time dad | Falling in love with his newborn baby boy at Jupiter Medical Center

Look at dad!
Look how he is resting his cheek on his hand, drawing back the hospital blanket to really take in his newborn son's face for the first time.

I see these emotions in my client's partners and spouses and I have a deep desire for my own birth stories.

That's why I fight so hard for you.
So you can have what I never will.

Now you know my first why.

Enjoy this first image of a series of photos from births I attended as a south Florida birth photographer in 2017 to see how I captured my first why for the families I work with.
#southfloridabirthphotographer

MY WHY'S | The Reasons Why Birth Photography

It’s a beautiful Monday and there are 23 days left until Christmas, and for the next week (or maybe rest of the year) I’m going to share with you my personal WHY:

There's a few reasons why birth photography.

Why I am so passionate and devoted to my birth clients, and the very first one starts with partner:

I have no idea what my husband's emotional reactions looked like during the highs and lows of my birth stories. If you can relate to this give me a "I feel ya" down in the comments, but my husband is not a very emotional guy so I would do anything at this point to go back in time and be able to see all the emotions on his face ranging from nervousness, boredom, excitement, blissful joy, pride and the ultimate relief that she's finally here.

I see these emotions in my clients partners and spouses and I have a deep desire for my own birth stories.

That's why I fight so hard for you.

So you can have what I never will.

Now you know my first why.

Enjoy this series of photos from births I attended in 2017 to see how I captured my first why for the families I work with as a hospital and home birth and newborn photographer in south Florida.

R1 Coffee Company | Where Friends Meet to Unwind

My partner and dearest friend Lena and I meet every week for a couple of stolen hours to unwind away from motherhood, home and errands.

This week we found a classy & elegant modern styled coffee shop in the heart of Boca Raton.

Our lattes were adorable ~ expert made.

I took my first taste and said to Lena "are these sweetened?" 

I honestly had never tasted such a smooth cup of coffee in my life. And I am pretty obsessed with the deliciousness of coffee.

It makes you wonder, when you've tasted something this good, how in the world you've ever spent ten+ years of your life indulging in anything else.

I didn't even wait. As Lena was taking notes for our epic event we are hosting in February, I completely downed my latte with delight.

If you haven't been by this delightful coffee shop, we highly recommend it!!

They have a location off of Dixie Highway and Palmetto Park Road (which is where we stopped by and met Sebastian, the charming barista) and another location on Federal Highway just south of Spanish River Boulevard that we can't wait to visit! We heard the owner hangs out in one of the two locations and we are excited to meet him. We love their mentality behind working as a team, planning as a team, because it reflects Lena and my mentality for our partnership. And we hear that they are opening a third location off of Military Trail!!

And their food is out of this world - totally did not expect that from a coffee shop. Typical coffee shops have croissants and pre-made breakfast sandwiches, but it was overwhelmingly clear when I took the first bite out of an egg bake with a fancy name I can't remember: three eggs baked into a chimichurri sauce with mushrooms, spinach and feta cheese. I am pretty sold on the idea of making this my regular breakfast spot.

I hope you love these sneak peeks of this phenomenal caffeine boost!

Behind the Scenes | To the Aspiring Birth Photographer. The Lifestyle you Hadn’t Yet Considered

This is my letter to the aspiring birth photographer about the lifestyle that holding the role of birth photographer carries with it, that you may have not considered. With love, Paulina

When diving into birth photography, a photographer quickly realizes they may need new gear because their camera doesn't support such low lighting. You may also realize the pace of the labor and birth is moving either much slower than you had planned on / hoped for, or much quicker and you missed all the photo opportunities you really wanted to get because you weren't prepared to adjust your camera to those lighting conditions that just suddenly changed.

Paulina Splechta birth photographer (left) pictured with Martha Lerner, doula of Zenmamalove, birth client and baby, doula Dawna and home birth midwife Gelena Hinkley. 

But there is a host of other scenarios that are seldomly thought of when you are entering this world. I'd love to share some of the challenges I had to overcome when I first started documenting birth almost five years ago.

Being a birth photographer in south Florida (I work mainly at Boca Raton Regional Hospital but I can be capturing a birth anywhere from Jupiter to Miami depending on my client) is definitely the greatest challenge your career as a photographer will ever face. 

Knowing you will get a call in the middle of the night definitely puts a lot of stress on a person's shoulders. How do you sleep really soundly knowing you may miss a call if you sleep too soundly? You must take measures to ensure a phone call will wake you at night.

 It means you can’t stay up just a little bit later, just a little bit longer and watch your favorite show because the new episode just came out. I miss that especially much - I am a proud TV nerd ;)

You also can't have a second glass of wine to unwind. You can’t go visit that friend or family member who lives in the opposite direction of your birth client. You can't go to places where you have no cell phone signal for longer than half an hour.

Being a birth photographer, I don’t have a partner who I would be able to easily send to a client if I am out to dinner with my husband or at a concert or out of town.

Granted I have absolutely reliable and talented back up birth photographers who are on call for me in the event that I have two clients whose due dates end up overlapping because one of them went into preterm labor for example, or becomes high risk in their third trimester.

However, I would never send my back up photographer unless I am having an absolute emergency, (such as my kids being in the emergency room *knock on wood*).

There’s not very many of us birth photographers down here in south Florida.

There are even fewer birth videographers.

I can only count three.

We don’t earn a steady paycheck on a monthly basis. If we have a birth client, we get paid. If we don’t have any birth clients for a specific month of the year, we have to make the money from a previous month stretch over the course of a few months. So we try our best to work with every birth client ourselves so we do not have to pay our back ups. 

So when I get a call at 3 o’clock in the morning that I am needed at a birth, I have to very quickly overcome the psychological setbacks that may affect a photographer from having the motivation to do this as a career choice.

It’s the same motivation you find within you when you are an athlete and a have to push yourself to get up out of bed at 5 o’clock in the morning and train.

There’s a part of you that so doesn’t want to and feels like it’s such a vulnerable moment for you where the id is trying to take over and make your decisions for you.

But when you are driven and passionate and when you remember that these are not just clients but members of a sisterhood, your sisterhood, your family, their story becomes your story. And that becomes your mission and your craft.

One thing that differs or differentiates birth photography from other forms of photography, is that it really isn't solely a job.

Although any kind of on-call work brings with it a larger (and worthy) investment on part of the client, you cannot push yourself to be a birth photographer only for the money.

Your heart has to be so damn in it for whatever is your private and personal driving, passionate force behind your work.

You must have that driven passion because burn out is not only inevitable but so painstakingly predictable.

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TWO MOST LIFE IMPACTING MOMENTS: WEDDING + BIRTH

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I want to talk about professional wedding photography for a moment because it hits so close to home with birth. They are both events, and two of the events that happen to be life impacting and highly emotional moments of a person's life.

One of my closest friends (and birth client) is a wedding photographer at Organic Moments Photography. 

Pictured: Erica Hartwig professional wedding photographer with her husband Josh Hartwig, also a professional wedding photographer part of the OMP team, and their fourth son Hudson.

Erica says, "our wedding clients invest an average of $8,000 - $12,000 in wedding photography with us."

Photograph captured and created by Organic Moments Photography.

(clickable link above to view Erica and Josh's exquisite wedding photography)

So think about it, as a wedding photography client, you're excited for your photographer to be there for your entire wedding day from start to finish, and to get an album to treasure the memories after this incredible day has passed. 

In this well worthy investment, if you find the right wedding photographer who truly sets your soul on fire- nowhere in this investment is there an allotted payment for being on-call.

Because most of the time, people do not spontaneously elope without any notice of the date or time or duration when they hire their wedding photographer.

There is usually a set location, date, and even timeline for the entire event from start to finish.

You're anticipating digital images, an album, your photographer's expertise, their time at your wedding, and their masterful creation of artwork.

Birth photography is not that different from weddings when you think about the amount of time and hard work that goes into such a tremendous milestone event.

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But birth carries an unpredictable and sometimes complicated timeline, often stop and go, and that is where the differences start to set apart birth from weddings and other forms of photography.

Some births are short from the time of arrival of the photographer to birth and the first couple of post partum hours between parents and baby.

Sometimes you get 'lucky' and you are home with only six hours having past.

And sometimes things are not as straightforward and you are away from home for days at a time.

Some births happen on a day, timeline and location you were not planning for nor expecting, weeks ahead of time.

And when personal hardships come into play, when a birth client goes into labor outside of your on-call time, such as pre-term labor at 34 weeks, you end up not well prepared for handling your own personal hardships because you have only a moments notice.

Often times when moms contact me for a schedule c-section, it is often thought I would only be needed for a couple of hours.

Yet even with a scheduled cesarean so many times my clients will go into spontaneous labor before ever reaching their scheduled c-section date.

My youngest daughter who is two years old had an extremely high fever the night one of my clients went into labor. I realized when I left the house that night that my daughter had never been without me during one of her high fevers. I literally had a team assembled within minutes to preside over this poor child, and the pediatrician on stand-by. Between my husband, my mom, my sister-in-law and brother all taking shifts during the night to watch over her, I had it covered.

But earlier, as I arrived to my client's labor, she asked me how everything is going with my family and kids and I said: great!

The last thing I would want is for my client who was so very focused on her sacred birthing journey to worry about my fevering toddler and getting me back to her.

When you are a birth photographer, this is part of the job, to hold space for your new family, (your birth client).

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BUT THEN THERE IS THE EMOTIONAL PAIN THAT COMES WITH HOLDING SPACE FOR A WOMAN IN LABOR WHO'S BIRTH IS NOT GOING HOW SHE HAD HOPED...

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The very long labor that is taking away her hope, causing frustration, impatience, and exhaustion.

The difficult births where mom's voice is lost and you slowly see the sadness cross her face.

The births where she had hoped and planned to get relief but the hospital staff is not quick enough and you must watch her unwantingly struggle through intensity she cannot manage and it feels like it's your sister and you hurt for her...

The unplanned cesarean (like both of my girls - that just hits way too close to home)

And then there is loss, and trying to wrap your head around dealing with it once you're home.

But in between all those moments are also glorious moments of overflowing radiant joy, the kind that touches your heart, makes you smile ear to ear, laugh, rejoice, and tear up with pride.

You cannot just separate yourself.

It's not just a job.

You live through these stories.

They feel like your own.

You go home, and you continue to hold space for your sisters

Four years pass and you still remember every mom and baby's name. Partners, spouses, older siblings.

Because that's what you do when you're a birth photographer.

It's not solely photography

it is the honoring of a sacred birth journey through art.

to be continued....

Community Over Competition | Birth World Experts

I'm so excited to announce to my families contacting me to document their film & photography birth story in 2018 I will be partnering with the following amazing women to bring the most complete prenatal, birth and post partum experiences to my families.

Lisa Raynor- Coralspringsdoula.com
Laura Knecht of Good Little SleeperZzz
Dr. Kathleen Vigo of Painless Pregnancy
Mom's Breast Friend Registered Nurse, Certified Lactation Consultant Sasha Lansing
 Charlene Boldrin Nikolakopoulos, Registered Nurse 

New families reaching out to me for a birth story with film & photography in 2018 will receive a gifted one hour consultation with their choice of provider from the above list.

Pictured: (left) Dr. Kat Vigo doctor of physical therapy and Coral Springs, Fort Lauderdale and Boca Raton doula Lisa Raynor, (right). 

It is a big deal to support each other and empower each other in the birth world. 

All of my birth clients in south Florida need to have prenatal and post partum resources, and I want to be able to refer them to women who are amazing at what they do.

Orchids Nest Blessingway | Cardamom Charlie

Last month I had the honor of being invited to document a beautiful gathering held by the amazing doulas at Orchids Nest in Delray Beach known as a "Mother Blessing" or "Blessingway" for one of my birth clients in 2017.

(click link above to be directed to the Orchid Nest webpage and view their services from hypnobirthing classes to expanded class schedules and offerings, community events, placenta encapsulation, doula services, birthing and post partum, salves, oils, soaps, and of course, hydrotherapy labor tub rentals)

A Mother Blessing is a gathering of women celebrating a woman's journey into motherhood. 

This special event was quite dear to my heart because my birth client and I were both pregnant at the same time two years ago, she with her son and I with my daughter and that is how we originally met.

When she reached out with the news that she was pregnant again - and that they wanted me to document their birth - my heart skipped a beat.

I felt as though it was my own sister reaching out to me with this joyous news.

My birth clients are my family, they are my sisters.

Photograph of myself making a dedication to my birth client's pregnancy and birth journey at the Orchids Nest. One of my favorite doulas Samara Andreadis pictured in the background.

It was especially meaningful when my birth client asked me to add something special to this sacred bowl of epsom salt, flowers, oils. I added an oil that I explained for me symbolizes the yin and yang of transition from the birth of our first babies to the birth of our second babies.

The last time we shared space in this room together it was night time

This time it was day time

The beautiful balance of transitioning from first time moms to second time moms.

As you all know, I give 100% of my attention to my birth clients in documenting their births.

And sometimes, especially in moments like this, I am honored when I am invited to participate in and document their special life moments surrounded by the empowering tribe they have built to surround themselves during pregnancy and birth. 

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Family lifestyle documentary photoshoot of Charlene and her sons in Delray Beach done by Paulina Splechta birth photographer and film maker.

I was thrilled when one of my favorite moms, Charlene, arrived at this blessingway, preparing the yummiest, healthiest and also a beautiful sight to see food to celebrate this mama.

Charlene owns Cardamom Charlie  

(click hyperlink above to view facebook page)

Charlene is a Registered Nurse and provides prenatal, welcome baby and postpartum massages at The Orchid Nest in Delray Beach.

With her passion for health, wellness and food she also offers in home meal prep and cooking lessons- group and private.

My birth clients absolutely love her!

If you are one of my birth clients and would like to see Charlene for a prenatal, welcome baby or postpartum massage, feel free to reach out to me here and we will get you in touch:

I love being a birth photographer in Palm Beach County. South Florida is my home, this is where I have planted the roots of my family. 

I hope you enjoy my favorites moments from this sacred journey below.

(left to right) doulas Lorie McCoy, Arian Englesson, birth photographer Paulina Splechta, doula Samara Andreadis, doula Delainey Casey

Fairies | Toddlers | IKEA Cribs | Stories

This post is a little overdue. We recently actually replaced one of the panels of my toddler's IKEA crib with a toddler rail when we discovered that she has mastered climbing out of her crib.

I captured this photo about a month ago, when she was still a baby-toddler, not a big kid, while she was reading stories with her big sis.

I love the angle I photographed... as a birth photographer I obsess with ANGLES! 

You have to love and know how to work with interesting and well-worth it angles when you work in the birth world, because you want to share a story from behind the scenes and remain unobtrusive to laboring moms.

This picture to me is what a fairy sitting on the ground across the room would see if she's spying on my kids :) 

Love my in-home documentary style family photography? 

Fill out the contact form below and myself or my partner Lena will get in touch with you within the next 24 hours to talk about your family's documentary - lifestyle family session in south Florida!

Empowering Natural Birth in South Florida: Dr. Gena's Birth & Baby Bonanza

I recently had the privilege of attending the inspiring "Birth & Baby Bonanza" event hosted by the renowned Dr. Gena Chiropractic in Plantation, Florida. This gathering of South Florida's leading birth professionals was a testament to the growing movement towards natural childbirth and holistic pregnancy care.

Home birth midwife Gelena Hinkley, Dr. Gena Chiropractor, home birth midwife Mary Harris, photo by Paulina Splechta South Florida Birth Photographer

VBAC Workshop Reunion: A Passion for Empowering Births

Reconnecting with Dr. Gena was a joy. Our paths first crossed at Natural Birthworks Birth Center in Margate, during a VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean) workshop led by the incredible midwives Gelena Hinkley and Sandra Lobaina. Dr. Delisa Skeete Henry, a highly respected OBGYN with extensive VBAC experience, shared invaluable insights, empowering expectant mothers to make informed choices about their births.

Chiropractic Care for Pregnancy and Beyond

Dr. Gena's insights on the benefits of chiropractic care during pregnancy piqued my curiosity. At the Birth & Baby Bonanza, I gained a deeper understanding of how her expertise can support mothers-to-be, enhancing their comfort and well-being throughout their journeys.

Boca Raton Birth Photographer: Documenting the Magic of Natural Birth

As a passionate birth photographer serving Boca Raton, Delray Beach, and surrounding areas, I'm dedicated to capturing the beauty and empowerment of natural birth. Witnessing events like the Birth & Baby Bonanza fuels my commitment to supporting women as they embrace their innate strength and wisdom.

South Florida Birth Photography: Your Story, Authentically Told

I believe in documenting births with respect, capturing the raw emotions and genuine connections that unfold during this transformative experience. Whether you're planning a home birth, a hospital birth, or a VBAC, I'm here to tell your story through timeless images.

Contact Me Today: Limited Availability for 2024 Births!

My calendar is filling up quickly, so don't wait to secure your birth photography session. Let's create a visual legacy that you and your family will cherish forever.

Selfie: Paulina Splechta South Florida Birth Photographer and videographer and Dr. Gena Chiropractor

One of my favorite doulas in south Florida, Lisa Raynor (right) who works with expecting moms planning hospitals births in Broward and Palm Beach county, she is well known by nurses, OBGYNS and midwives in Boca Raton Regional Hospital, Northwest Medical Center, Broward Health Medical Center, and far far more. I love this woman!! My clients love her!!

Meet one of my other favorite doulas in the world, Martha Lerner. Martha owns Zenmamalove and is a phenomenal, out of this world home birth and hospital doula, and often assists amazing midwives like my favorite Gelena Hinkley at home births as a birth assistant. 

Let me introduce you to my hands down FAVORITE south Florida home birth midwives! (left to right) Sandra Lobaina (who is also an amazing IBCLC [international board certified lactation consultant], Mary Harris with A Loving Start, me and Gelena Hinkley with Peaceful Pregnancy Pathways ~ PS Births. I cannot even count on my hands how many times I've worked with these phenomenal women. If a mama is looking for an amazing home birth midwife, this is your team!!! 

Dr. Kat Vigo, of painless-pregnancy.com is a obstetrics physical therapist for prenatal and post partum care. She specializes in helping women with problems ranging from incontinence to weakened abdominal, hip, gluteal muscles (like myself and we have been working together and she is phenomenal!!) and even dealing with back pain, sciatica pain during pregnancy and round ligament pain and after. Pictured with Lisa Raynor Doula.