Tips on How to Choose a Photographer to Document Your Birth

I am a mom of two girls under five. I missed out on the opportunity to have either of my births documented, and with that comes the loss of not knowing what reaction my husband had to becoming a daddy for the first time when Kate was born, and if he cried, smiled, laughed or was surprised the second time I gave birth, when Emma was born.

My births were complicated, so it was difficult for me to focus on anything but meeting my girls for the first time. I think this rings true to most moms, whether they have a complicated or fairly straightforward birth, the moment your child is born, mommies and daddies tend to have tunnel vision, and are memorized by this little life they've been waiting to meet for the last 9 months.

I have been photographing birth now for four years, and there are certainly many times when I am editing birth stories that I daydream about having a third. However, with the changes in health I've experienced with age and over two pregnancies, despite my dream of having three children, our family is complete.

Having thought this through so many times, I've prepared a list for you on tips you can consider when deciding who and/or what kind of photographer you'd like to hire to document your birth story.

There are many choices to make, so let me lay them out for you below

1. Daddy takes the pictures

Pros:

Definitely the simplest way to save money when you're on a budget is to have your partner or spouse take the pictures. They'll be proud of themselves for having captured what will become some of your most treasured memories.

Cons:

I could never be a doula, because doulas need to be incredibly resilient to emotions because their job is to support moms emotionally and physically during labor and birth. is When I put my camera down, I get emotional, I may cry, I may feel my hands shaking a bit.

Consider the emotions you may want your partner or spouse to feel as they are emotionally (or physically) supporting you during your labor, and how emotionally invested you may want them to be as they meet your baby for the first time.

Do you want your partner/spouse to be completely vulnerable and experience the raw and real emotions of becoming a parent for the first time ever to this little baby?

Holding a camera or phone and focusing on taking pictures that aren't blurry creates a degree of separation between the parent and the experience.

The focus on taking pictures helps me keep my composure during a birth so that I don't cry, so that I feel more like I am watching a movie rather than experience the birth in person. Do you want your partner or spouse to experience a degree of separation?

When daddy holds the camera, you would miss pictures of his emotional reaction to meeting your baby... like these:

2. Okay, so not daddy. How about best friend (or sister or aunt) takes the pictures?

Pros:

Having a close friend, sibling, grandparent or doula photograph during your birth helps take the pressure off your partner and spouse. But the cons can leave parents heart broken, so be sure to read on...

Cons:

If I had a dollar for every time parents came to me an told me they wish they hadn't let their friend/sister/doula/parent take the pictures at their last birth. The results can sometimes be great! But when you had your expectations set to having these moments documented and end up with blurry pictures, blown out pictures (too bright) or too dark pictures, or no pictures at all, it can be heart breaking.

If you're lucky, you may get a picture of the delivery - but you may never see his face because your photographer was very focused on taking pictures of your newly born baby

And sometimes, the one person who was suppose to take pictures didn't during moments that you realize afterwards, truly mattered to you.

and sometimes, that person becomes too nervous to take pictures. 

maybe because they've never attended a birth before and had no idea they would react this way, and sometimes, even to those women who have had several of their own children and attended births before, friends/family who are doulas, paramedics, doctors, they never realized they'd be so emotional when it was their baby sister giving birth.

Pictures captured by family and friends and other inexperienced people who haven't been trained in capturing artistically beautiful angles during even the most complicated labors and births, tend to look more like they were from the birth chapter of an anatomy textbook. 

3. So how about our family photographer? Or our wedding photographer?

Pros:

You'll probably feel more comfortable working with a photographer you've known for a while now. Plus they will probably either charge you very little or not at all, this being their first birth

Cons:

One of the number one drawbacks of hiring a photographer who's never photographed a birth before, is that most likely, they haven't been educated on the birth process and what to expect. They aren't aware of the very quick and totally unexpected changes in lighting, staff, space that all happen last minute. 

Most photographers are trained to photograph in the best lighting conditions (and most wedding photographers use an external flash for dark receptions). But what most photographers are not trained in is to photograph gorgeous artwork when there is a lack of lighting to work with. A lack of space, a lack of timeline and everything is unexpected.

Circumstances surrounding how unpredictable birth is can cause very capable and experienced family, portrait and wedding photographers to very suddenly question their capability.

You also may realize you actually don't feel more comfortable using a photographer who takes your family pictures (or who photographed your wedding) because you're not comfortable with that person seeing you give birth, seeing you naked, and then doing future family pictures with them.

What to look for in an experienced, professional birth photographer 

1. The first thing I would look for in an experienced, professional birth photographer is if I love their work. How many births have I seen from them? 1? 5? 20? What does an entire birth story look like? 

2. Depending on the type of birth you plan to have (hospital hypnobirth, induction, cesarean, home birth,  birth center) the photographer should be able to show you samples of previous similar births they have captured. Those proofs should be all of the same high quality and they should impact you emotionally. 

3. Depending on when you are due, you should find out if your birth photographer has any prior commitments during that time. Do they already have 8 other birth clients or 10 photoshoots scheduled two weeks before and after your due date? Do they have an anniversary or a family or child's birthday during that time? Is there a major holiday (like Thanksgiving or Christmas) occurring during that time? It's okay if there is a schedule conflict. What matters is how your photographer approaches that conflict. Are they ok with missing their child's birthday party or Christmas with their family. Their answer to that is what's important.

4. Does your birth photographer work with a reliable back up? Emergencies do happen and if your photographer is unable to be present at your birth, you want to be sure they have a very talented and reliable photographer who serves as their back up. You also want to be sure your photographer defines the parameters of what constitutes an emergency worth missing your birth for.

5. How professional your birth photographer seems to you. If you're having a hospital birth, (or end up needing a transfer to the hospital during labor at home), are high risk or have any medical conditions that can result in extra medical intervention and even a cesarean birth, you want to know how your birth photographer will handle themselves around the most esteemed medical professionals in a hospital setting. If your photographer is inexperienced with working along side of medical professionals ranging from nurses to OBGYNS, NICU nurses, neonatologists and anesthesiologists, it can affect how much of your birth story they are allowed to photograph

6. How many births your photographer has been paid to photograph. Lets get real for a moment. I am proud of the work I did photographing my very first five paid births. I had older, less capable equipment to handle darkly lit rooms back then, and I had less experience, but the work was good. But to be real with you, as an artist, I don't think its as good as the work I capture now, four years later, over one hundred births later. The more births your photographer attends, the more experience they gain working with lighting, unexpected last minute changes, lack of room. You basically learn to expect more things not going your way at a birth as a birth photographer so you condition yourself to expect everything going wrong all at once and plan in advance how you will handle those situations. 

7. Privacy. How much does your photographer honor your privacy and confidentiality? 70% of the births I have documented over four years will never be seen by the public eye Why? because 70% of the birth clients I have had over four years have asked me not to share their photos or films with anyone. I can completely empathize with this. I have a few cell phone pictures from my two births, of which maybe 3 have ever been shared publicly. I feel particularly guarded about my two complicated and emotional births and wish for these images to never be shared with anyone. Your photographer who value your privacy over their own publicity/brand awareness at all times. 

8. Relationship. You should love your birth photographer. They should not feel like a stranger paparazzi the day of your birth but like an old friend who makes you feel safer and more supported because they are there for you. I don't believe in photographing births for families who don't feel comfortable having me in the labor room with them. So I go above and beyond to get to know my families better during their pregnancies by meeting with them in person and getting to know each member of the family before my clients ever go into labor. 

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I hope this list of tips on how to choose a photographer to document your birth has been helpful to you. Feel free to print it out by going to the top left of your browser, clicking File > Print. 

If you're interested in learning about what kind of questions you should ask your OBGYN or hospital Midwife before you hire them and before you go into labor... you can find that here

For questions to ask during a hospital tour... you can find those here

Questions to Ask on a Hospital Tour

The facility you choose to birth in can be as important as the provider you hire for your birth.

As a mommy, I have experience birthing at two different hospitals in two different counties in Florida. There were pluses and minuses about my experiences and I have learned that so much to do with my minuses has to do with the birth team I selected for my births. So if you are on the fence about your provider, be sure you check out my list of questions to ask an OBGYN or Midwife before you give birth here. 

Below I am including a list of questions that as an expecting couple, you should read through to see which questions are important to you, print and highlight and ask when you go on a tour of the hospitals you are considering birthing in.

The first thing I suggest is calling the hospital you hope to birth in and requesting a private tour. Private tours may not be offered at every hospital, but what I like about the hospitals that do offer private tours are, the person giving the tour usually has more experience to answer your questions with more accuracy and more current information and they usually have more time to show you around and talk to you.

Paulina Splechta capturing a December 2017 birth in a labor and delivery room at Boca Raton Regional Hospital.

QUESTIONS TO ASK DURING A HOSPITAL TOUR

HOSPITAL AND ROOM INFORMATION

1. Are L&D rooms shared or private? What about post partum rooms? Is there the option for a private room (and if so, is there a fee?) Are the bathrooms private or shared?

2. Will I stay in the same room from labor through post partum?

3. When I arrive and I am in labor, do I get admitted to a labor and delivery room immediately or do I go to a triage area first to be assessed? What happens during an assessment? And how long before I can be admitted to my own L&D room?

4. Are all the rooms the same as the one we’re being shown? Are some smaller or larger, less renovated, does every room have a window?

5. Does each room offer a TV? With how many channels?

6. Is there wireless internet access?

7. How many births take place at this hospital on average each day?

8. What happens if all of the labor and delivery rooms are full? How often does that happen?

9. How many operating rooms do you have in the event that I need a c-section?

10. How many people am I able to have as part of my birth team in the room while I'm in labor and during delivery? How many people are able to come with me into the operating room in the event of a C-section?

11. Is there a waiting area for friends and family? (Can I see it?)

12. Will I have access to hydrotherapy to help with pain management during labor via a shower or a laboring tub?

13. Is there a couch/bed for my partner/spouse to spend the night with me while I'm in the hospital?

14. Is this a teaching hospital? If so, can I expect interns or students to be present during my delivery? Can I request that they not attend if I don’t feel comfortable with them there?

15. Where should I park when I arrive in labor? Where should my birth team or guests park when I am in labor / post partum?

16. Does the hospital offer pregnancy and birth classes? And what kind? (If so, is there a fee?)

17. When and where do I go to register myself for the hospital?

18. What are your maternal and infant mortality rates at this hospital?

Orchid Nest doula Samara supporting a mom during her labor at Boca Raton Regional Hospital.

LABOR AND DELIVERY QUESTIONS

1. (If you plan on it) I intend on walking during labor am I restricted to my room?

2. When will I get an IV line when I arrive to the hospital? Does the hospital offer hep-locks?

3. Does the hospital offer intermittent fetal monitoring during labor?

4. What is your approach on pelvic exams during labor and how frequently do nurses do them?

5. What positions can I give birth in? Ie. pushing on side, on hands and knees, squatting.

6. What labor and birthing equipment does the hospital offer? Ie. birthing/laboring balls, peanut balls, squat/birthing bars, showers, laboring tubs, rocking chair, birthing stool.

7. What's the hospital's C-section rate? How familiar is the hospital with gentle cesareans (clear drape replaced blue drape once baby is born, immediate skin to skin, breastfeeding all in the OR) and how frequently do you do them?

8. How comfortable is the hospital with working with doulas? How comfortable is the hospital and L&D nurses with unmedicated births and hypnobirthing?

9. Are there any situations that my birth partner/spouse won't be able to be with me (such as getting an epidural or preparing for a c/section)?

10. Is there a policy regarding videos or photos during labor and delivery?

11. Can I eat and/or drink while in labor? Can I bring honey sticks or popsicles for labor?

12. Can I wear my own labor gown during labor as long as it has buttons everywhere and access to fetal monitoring belts/epidural if needed?

13. What is the hospital position on placenta encapsulation?

14. How long can the baby exam be delayed for, how long am I able to do the initial skin to skin bonding with my baby immediately following labor before any procedures are done with my baby (vitamin K, eye ointment, baby exam).

Dad catching baby along with Dr. Lauren Feingold of Women's Health Partners during parents second birth at Boca Raton Regional Hospital.

POST PARTUM QUESTIONS

1. What is the hospital's policy on washing the baby following birth?

2. What is the hospital's position on immediate skin to skin?

3. What is the hospital's position with delayed cord clamping and cord blood banking? Am I able to request for my partner to cut the cord?

4. Is there a newborn intensive care unit (NICU)? What floor is it located on? Is it easy to access from the postpartum rooms?

5. Does the hospital have a nursery? How often can I request for my baby to be taken to the nursery if I need to rest? Will my baby be brought to me for feedings?

6. Does the hospital offer a lactation consultant? How soon after birth can I meet with one?

7. Does the hospital have a breast pump I can use during my stay?

8. How long will I stay in the hospital post-delivery?

9. Does the hospital offer a special meal for new parents? Are we able to use our own delivery services for post-birth meals?

10. What are the visiting hours and policies once the baby is born? Are children allowed to visit during early labor and after birth?

11. What security measures does the hospital have in place to insure the safety of Mom and Baby?

12. Does the hospital offer infant CPR classes for new parents before discharge?

13. Does the hospital offer breastfeeding support classes?

14. Does the hospital offer whooping cough vaccinations for parents and caregivers?
 15. Do we need to have a car seat installed in our car before we can take the baby home?

Big sister meeting her baby brother at Boca Raton Regional Hospital

Read the Questions to ask an OBGYN or Midwife before you give birth here. 

Birth of a Second Baby Boy! | Boca Raton Regional Hospital

I met this extraordinary mom when we were both pregnant a couple of years ago.

Our friendship and connection through our previous pregnancies together made it so special when she and her husband reached out to me to capture the birth of their second son. 

Tears welled up in my eyes when I sat with this sweet family talking about their hopes and dreams for meeting their second little boy. It moved me so much to see how excited (and a little nervous) they were, but most of all, you could see the love in their eyes, their faces, the way they looked at each other in eagerness and joy. 

And it made me so happy to hear that they would be meeting their little boy at my favorite hospital in Florida (Boca Raton Regional Hospital) with one of my favorite practices too - Women's Health Partners.

I cannot wait for you to view and enjoy the images from this incredibly sweet and beautiful birth story below. I hope you love them as much as I do!

What Does On-Call Mean & Why You Shouldn't Ask Just Anyone to Photograph Your Birth

Watch a calm, behind the scenes short trailer of the experience of having Paulina Splechta, professional birth photographer and film maker attend your birth

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The most commonly asked question by families who are expecting a new baby and considering hiring a Birth Photographer is..

"So... how does it work?"

I love to answer this question, and its an excellent one. The way birth photography sessions work is unlike any other type of photography you've ever done before. It is similar to a wedding in that it is one of the greatest milestones in your life that happens quickly, and only once, and can never be simulated or repeated exactly the way it happened.

But unlike all portraiture photography (such as newborn and family photography) and unlike wedding photography, birth photography brings with it the element of unpredictability.

Boca Midwifery Nurse Certified Midwives Courtney McMillian and Polina Goldenberg patiently waiting on a mom in labor

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One of my favorite practices to work with in Boca Raton, Boca Midwifery, recently posted the perfect example of how unpredictable birth is with the following quote...

“She chose a midwife. She hired a doula. She stayed at home for hours in early labor. She was active, rocking and swaying to get her baby to come down. She walked the halls, she used the shower. She endured 18 hours of natural labor beautifully. Sometimes you do everything right and birth still doesn’t go as planned. So this baby was born by cesarean. Not at all how this mom had planned to bring her baby in to the world, but she was okay. Why? Because she was still respected. She was educated and part of the decision. Her mom and husband were by her side as she greeted her new baby boy. She saw him emerge from the womb, and stared at his sweet little face as he took his first breaths, while we allowed the cord to pulse. Routine procedures were delayed and he was in his mother’s arms just minutes after being born. He was latched on to the breast as soon as she was back in her room. Not ideal, but ok. In the end, she has no regrets. She was well-prepared for her ideal birth but also realistic about her priorities. She trusted her birth team and is so, so happy with the outcome overall. And she is so proud of herself. THIS is what informed birth is about. THIS is why she won’t be in another doctor’s office, years down the road, still crying about her birth. Unfortunately we hear horrific stories of birth trauma every week in our office. It doesn’t have to be that way. Choose your birth team wisely.”

— https://www.facebook.com/BocaMidwifery/

Boca Midwifery patient with her newborn baby boy, older daughter and husband the day after her cesarean birth.

So the next question is...

"if birth is so unpredictable, how do you make it in time to document the birth story?"

When I start working with my birth clients, we start preparing for their birth story from the very first day they contact me. 

I take limited birth clients each month to ensure there is no overlap, although it is estimated that "only 5% of women go into labor on their due date (In other words, it is wrong for 95%!). [source]"

Once an expecting mother becomes my birth client, I am available to her via text, phone call, and email through her entire pregnancy. And for a healthy pregnancy without any risks or complications, I go on-call for birth clients at 38 weeks gestation. 

Boca Midwifery patient with her newborn baby girl the day after giving birth at Boca Raton Regional Hospital

"So what does being on-call mean?"

Addressing this question requires a multi-faceted answer.

Because working as a 12-month-per-year on-call photographer involves the client, the medical provider, the birthing facility, the photographer, and the photographer's personal life (family/children). 

Certified Nurse Midwife Courtney McMillian of Boca Midwifery with her patient and newborn baby girl.

COMMUNICATION

Me being on-call for a client means that I have my cell phone with the volume always on, even during the night. During the day, my cell phone is never in my purse or in another room, it is with me, in my hand, 24 hours of every day, 7 days of every week from the time my client is 38 weeks pregnant until her baby is born. Furthermore, I instruct birth clients to only call, and never to leave a voicemail after 9pm and before 9am, so that I don't miss a text during the night if they are updating me on early labor progress.

Being on-call means anywhere from as little as 5 to as many as 200 text messages can be exchanged during day time, as well as multiple phone calls during the day and night updating me with early labor progress, the birth client or her partner or spouse giving me updates from their doula or nurse on labor progress, and sometimes, to tell me there has been a change made by their OBGYN or Midwife to their previous birth plan.

Being on-call also means that I do not travel outside a specific distance from my birth client's birthing location in any direction so that I can attend her birth as soon as she is in active labor and ready for me to arrive and begin documenting her journey. 

PRIVACY

Unlike other fields of the birth world such as obstetrics / midwifery where a birthing woman may occasionally have a different practitioner from the practice who she's met during her prenatal visits deliver her baby if her chosen provider is unexpectedly unavailable, hiring a birth photographer can sometimes be a leap of faith for first time and even second time parents. 

Some of my birth clients understandably need extra privacy and confidentiality, and my goal is to work as closely to my birth clients as possible without a need for hiring a backup photographer to replace me during births. Although it is important for me to work with highly professional and skilled women (who are also mothers) who are put to the strictest standards of high quality birth artwork in the event I have an imminent emergency during a client's labor, my goal is to always be dependable and attend every one of my birth client's births myself, and I am glad to say in four years of birth photography (out of my ten years of working as a photographer), I have attended each of my client's births myself.

Because of this, I refrain from going to locations where I know I won't have cell phone signal when I am on-call for my clients, such as certain grocery stores, movie theaters, malls, etc. Or if I am on-call for a client and need to briefly go somewhere there is no cell phone signal where they would temporarily for 1-2 hours not have access to me, I am sure to check in with my birth clients prior to ensure there have been no early signs of labor and inform them when I will be reachable again.

Certified Nurse Midwife Courtney McMillian of Boca Midwifery steadily waiting on her patient without rushing

Being on-call means I also have a back up contact number, and although this has never happened, if my birth client calls me multiple times and cell towers are being funky, they have a back up number to call me on where they can reach me immediately.

And lastly, being on-call means I have to have my personal life in check. I am fortunate to have a supportive and active spouse, grandparents down the street, full time childcare and meal planning ready to ensure my personal life continues to move smoothly with my absence in mind.

To paraphrase from the awesome post done by Boca Midwifery and changing it a bit to apply it to the artwork I create for my families...

THIS is why my clients won't hire an photographer without years of birth artwork experience, years down the road with subsequent births. Unfortunately I hear sad stories of family portraiture photographers, siblings, husbands, grandparents missing the shot, pictures being blown out (too bright) because they didn't know how to deal with the last minute and unexpected changes in light, blurry pictures, or pictures not being special enough because they were too anatomy-textbook-like.

It doesn't have to be that way. Choose your birth team wisely, including your professional birth photographer who will quietly work around you so as not to disturb the birth process or the birth professionals caring for you. Someone who has formed great relationships with midwives and obstetricians who welcome your birth photographer to document their patient's stories.

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CONTACT ME TO SET UP A COMPLIMENTARY BIRTH PHOTOGRAPHY & BIRTH FILM CONSULTATION TO TALK ABOUT YOUR BIRTH STORY.

I CAN'T WAIT TO HEAR FROM YOU.

Deployment During Birth | Broward General Hospital Fort Lauderdale

Time didn't exist for them.. and despite them between on opposite sides of the globe (daddy serving our country during her labor) they were totally there together, not an ocean apart. And he will always remember how happy she was to have him with her. Because I didn't miss a single moment of it.

*limited 2018 birth story availability

Follow this link to view their entire birth story with Dr. Skeete in Broward General Hospital in Fort Lauderdale

click here to view

The Ultimate Guide to the Third Trimester | Things to Do Before You Go into Labor

The Ultimate Guide to the Third Trimester & Things to Do Before you Go into Labor

 

Things To do During the Third Trimester

For all my birth clients with January due dates and February due dates here in south Florida and Boca Raton, a common question is, what should I be doing in my third trimester to prepare for labor, for birth and to prepare for meeting my baby and bringing my baby home?

First things first... 1. Movement

Once you are in your third trimester, its important to be attentive to how active your baby is, and monitor and keep track of your baby's movements, especially if your OBGYN or Midwife suggests it. If you notice a decrease in movement, some medical providers will tell you to let them know. It's always good to be on the safe side and keep a vigilant mind.

2. Prenatal Visits

At some point during your third trimester, your prenatal visits should become more frequent. Some time between 32 and 36 weeks, you will start seeing your provider on a weekly basis rather than once every few weeks. Be sure to ask your provider what kind of exams, tests and discussions you can anticipate to arise over the course of these visits so that you can be well informed.

3. Cord-blood banking

Be sure to talk to your doctor about cord blood banking, what it is, how it is done, what the pluses and minuses are and how to plan for it. If you are planning on doing delayed cord clamping, make sure your provider is aware since these two processes can affect each other and not all providers may offer their agreement to do both.

4. Classes

At this point, you may have taken a pregnancy and childbirth class, but this is the perfect time to educate yourself and make decisions about whether you know enough about baby care, breastfeeding, labor, pain management techniques during labor and infant CPR. Sometimes your local hospital will offer some of these classes, there is an amazing childbirth class offered by Diane Ellen at Boca Raton Regional Hospital. Other times you can contact a local birth center such as Natural Birthworks birth center in Margate or an organization such as The Orchid Nest in Delray Beach to find out about their class schedules and offerings. The Orchid Nest offers hypnobirthing classes in Delray Beach as well as at local hospitals, so be sure to inquire asap as classes sometimes have several dates and may be booked out in advance.

5. Breastfeeding

If you are planning on breastfeeding your baby, this is the perfect time to learn as much about breastfeeding as you can. Get yourself a breastfeeding pump, many insurances now cover the cost of excellent, high grade breast pumps. Every city nowadays has a local La Leche League Chapter, which is a group of women who are pregnant and have already had their babies who meet on a monthly basis to discuss important things to prepare for during pregnancy and techniques to use following birth to have the best opportunity at breastfeeding. There are many local lactation consultants in south Florida such as Sandra Lobaina with Peaceful Pregnancy Pathways in Margate, FL who you can contact should you have problems breastfeeding. Be sure to equip yourself with anything you may need to make breastfeeding more comfortable for you, whether that be a nursing cover, nipple shields, nipple ointment to help prevent dried out nipples, or the use of an inverted nipplette from Avent that helps with flat or inverted nipples. 

6. Pediatrician

This is the perfect time to choose the right pediatrician for your baby. 

If you live in south Florida, there are a vast recourse of amazing pediatricians that come with glowing recommendations from south Florida's best OBGYNS/Midwives and doulas. Some of my favorites are: Dr. Edna Tello with Personalized Pediatrics, Pediatric Associates who have many locations making it very convenient to get easy well and sick visits (my favorite location is in Coral Springs but they are also located in Coconut Creek and Boca Raton). Several of my clients love working with VIPediatrics in Boca Raton, and many holistic first-time-moms love working with Dr. Linda Colon in Coral Springs with Coral Springs Holistic Pediatrics. Many of these great pediatricians are affiliated with some of the best hospitals in south Florida including Broward Health Coral Springs, Northwest Medical Center, Boca Raton Regional Hospital (formerly known as Boca Community Hospital) and West Boca Medical Center.

Scheduling in-person interviews with pediatricians is best. That way, you can sit with them, see how comfortable you feel with them, and ask them all the questions you may have about their approach towards pediatric care for your new baby. 

Now it's time to make sure you have everything you need for when you bring your baby home. Here is a list of items you should have prepared and ready for use, just in case your baby makes an unexpected arrival, so you can be totally prepared:

1. Bedding: Have your baby's crib and bassinet set up, bedding washed and put on and ready

2. Stroller: You may want to take your baby for walks in your neighborhood after giving birth, you don't want to have to deal with that assembly after you brought your baby home. I love youtube videos because you can type in the name of your stroller and find instructional videos on how to assemble, open and close your stroller.

3. Baby Monitor: Do you have a registry at Babies R Us or Target in Boca Raton? Did you know that anything that wasn't purchased from your registry for your baby shower, these stores will usually offer you a 10-20% off discount for the remaining items on your registry? This is the perfect time to use that discount on a great monitor. I recommend looking up reviews on the best video monitors on amazon.com because you'll always have more of a peace of mind when you can see your baby on the monitor!

Educate Yourself on the Stages of Labor

Once you have all this done (I know my December due date moms just finished up setting up their nurseries this week!) It's time to educate yourself on stages of labor.

We go over this together during our first meeting because you need to know how to update me on the progress of your labor and when to expect me to arrive at your birth. However, I will also share my resource list with you so that you can contact a some of my favorite local doulas (ranging from Delray Beach and Boca Raton doulas to Fort Lauderdale and Miami doulas) so that they can help you prepare and go over various labor pain coping strategies, especially if you are planning an unmedicated birth (or even leading up to getting an epidural during labor) it is good to learn about your options now so that you can be prepared, know what to expect and know what you want. 

Doula and Birth Plan

When you hire a doula, she should help you to create a birth plan, also known as a birth preferences list. 

Although birth is unpredictable, it is good to have an idea of what you'd like from your birth as long as everything goes smoothly with mom and baby. Things to consider for your birth preferences list are: who would you like to cut the cord, do you plan on having delayed cord clamping, what your pain management tools are, who will be part of your birth team and present during labor and birth and more.

What to do with a Birth Plan / Inductions

Make sure you make a copy for your provider and whoever their backup doctor or midwife is in case of emergency and they are not with you during delivery. You also want to make copies for your nurses. Nurses at the hospital work in 12 hour shifts, so depending on how long you are in labor, you may need a new copy for each nurse if it is not left in the room. If you end up being induced, you may be in the hospital for 1-3 days leading up to birth, depending on what medications your provider will administer and how your body reacts to them.

Long Labors

It is not uncommon for first-time moms to be in labor anywhere from 12 to 24 to 30 hours. 

Most first time moms are in labor for an average of 15 to 20 hours. And usually, it shortens with subsequent births. You won't be in intense labor for the whole time. It usually starts with sporadic uninformed contractions that feel like your belly or the skin on your belly is tightening, stretching, contracting. Then, as they become more uniform and start coming in more consistently, as they become more frequent and intense they may be accompanied by lower back ache or menstrual-like cramps below your belly. 

Hospital Bag

I tell all my birth clients, even my home birth families, to be sure you pack a hospital bag around 35-36 weeks in your third trimester, because in the event you need to go to the hospital, even if its for a non-emergency situation, you don't want to waste your time or energy trying to make sure you have everything last minute. 

Home Care

A lot of my birth clients wonder whether they should hire a house keeper or housecleaner before they have their baby, and the answer should always be yes!!

It is such a calming and relaxing feeling, coming home to a beautifully clean home once your baby is born. And it takes care of everything on your to do list that you won't have to worry yourself with when you are recovering from birth with a newborn. 

Post Partum Care

It is a great idea to stock up on your favorite snack foods, freezer meals, pain medication, toiletries and menstrual pads for postpartum bleeding. A lot of moms like to get underwear just for wearing during the postpartum bleeding time frame.

Install your baby's car seat

You definitely want to install your baby's car seat by 36 weeks. Hospitals won't let you take your baby home unless you install the car seat in your car, and be sure you are using an infant car seat, so you can remove it from the base that is attached to the safety belt in your car and bring it upstairs to securely seatbelt your baby. Again, I love to take to youtube because there are many car seat technicians who help guide you with step by step instructional videos on how to specifically install your car seat. 

Tour Hospital

Make sure to schedule a tour of the hospital you will be birthing at and be sure you register! I didn't realize the two don't go hand in hand! You must do both. Be sure to google list of questions to ask on a hospital tour and bring the list with you, and ask the questions that matter to you. 

Older Children / Fur Babies

Make sure if you have older children or pets that you make arrangements for family or friends or sitters who will be staying with them while you are in labor. Add their contact information to your birth plan. 

Late Pregnancy Complicatons

Sometimes are women near the end of their pregnancy, certain medical conditions may come up such as premature labor, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes and GBS. Make sure you educate yourself on these issues and talk to your provider about your concerns if you notice any symptoms. 

Past your due date!

Don't worry if you go past your due date. It is estimated that only 5% of women go into labor on their due date. The next 50% of women will go into labor within 7 days of their due in either direction, and the rest outside of that. It is so normal for first time moms to not go into labor until after their due date and some even at 41 weeks. 

Christmas Babies | Due with your Baby over the Holidays

With the winter holidays of Christmas and Hanukkah coming up, a lot of moms with January due dates and February due dates are checking their lists for last minute baby purchases!

With the start of pregnancy, many of my birth clients loved the options from motherhood maternity in the Boca Raton Town Center Mall for pregnancy clothing, (maternity jeans with belly bands and longer tees) as well as comfy choices from the maternity lines at H&M and Target. Many of these comfortable maternity items then become useful during the "4th trimester" or basically the first three months post partum as you are slowly recovering from birth. 

Mid-way into pregnancy, maybe around 7 months, many moms will plan their Baby shower and some of my favorite baby shower locations in Coral Springs, Parkland and Boca Raton happen to be club house rentals! They are intimate, cozy, quiet and perfect size for an intimate gathering of friends and family to celebrate mom-to-be!

One of our favorite purchases with our second baby was the Arm's Reach Cosleeper Bassinet, however, by the time our second daughter was well over six months, all my birth clients here in south Florida and in Europe were raving about the HALO Bassinet Swivel Sleeper, which literally is probably one of the most comfortable bassinet systems I have ever seen. I love all things Amazon, and am totally an amazon prime mom, so I hyperlinked the title above for easy two day shipping options :)

It's great for a number of reasons, and here are my top favorite reasons:

All sides of the bassinet are designed for the utmost breathability so when factors like SIDS come into play, moms rest easy knowing their baby will be safe.

A huge huge reason why I especially love the Halo Bassinet, is because I am a two time cesarean birth mom and if you have had a belly birth yourself, you know how tough the recovery from a c-section can be, and with this bed's movability, it is ideal for nursing mothers as the base easily tucks under beds. I highly recommend it! I truly feel like this is one of the basic newborn essentials that should be on every single baby registry. I am fairly certain I remember seeing a HALO Bassinet system in every birth client's home in the entire year of 2017!

Along with breathable bassinets, comes a very important breathable must-have for down the road once your baby starts sitting up (which is usually a sign they have outgrown the bassinet) -- and that is - a breathable mattress! 

Breathable mattresses are the latest and greatest technology in helping to prevent suffocation when a baby turns over on their stomach during sleep which is a huge asset in preventing SIDS.

Rated as one of the best and safest, breathable mattresses on the market is the Newton crib mattress, learn more here.  

Now for moms who are currently 36 weeks pregnant, I really do feel you lucked out with the cold fronts we have been getting in south Florida over the past couple of weeks of this December compared to moms who have a May or June due date, July, or even an August due date in the summer of 2018!

 With basically one month left, first time moms can feel relieved that their baby is now full term and by 37 weeks they can go anytime now!

Other Important things to take care of if you haven't at this point is to find the right pediatrician for your newborn baby.

There are several excellent practices in Coral Springs and pediatricians in Boca Raton and Parkland that I would be happy to recommend, feel free to reach out to me!

Supportive Partners in Home Birth | Loxahatchee Home Birth Midwife

You can see it in this moment, that when he married her, maybe he didn't know it then, but he really did promise to be there for her through everything.

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

Where are you? | The Sacred Moment of a Mother Reaching Out

Where are you...?

She was reaching out her hand for his...

Once she touched his hand, relief spilled over her face to unite hand in hand...

Everything was planned down to a T, and she was in the best of care with her csection doctor, in an excellent hospital, surrounded by her family, but the comfort of reaching out and touching your husband's hand is unlike any other.

The person who has been by your side through it all.

This moment would go missed because it happens in less than a second and then it's quickly onto meeting our baby girl!

How are you planning to capture these moments when you have your baby? 
#southfloridabirthphotographer
#thisismywhy

Dads and Grandpas at Births | Labor and Delivery in Jupiter Medical Center

That rare, unpromoted, unscripted smile and laugh from dad and grandpas all caught on camera because they completely forgot I was there, and this was just so dang real. Welcome baby boy. You are SO 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