GYNECOLOGIST VS OBGYN IN BOCA RATON, FL

Let’s talk the difference between Gynecologists and Obstetricians!

Many doctors can be great gynecologists who handle medical cases with the greatest expertise. So when you get to know a fantastic gynecologist before starting a family, sometimes it can become difficult to leave that doctor for your birth.

Birth is unlike any other field

Birth is NOT 100% MEDICAL

Birth is also emotional, spiritual, transformational, transcending.

I wouldn’t call an appendectomy transformational, but becoming a parent for the very first time in your life definitely is.

Birth is not a purely medical + scientific hospital event, and not every doctor gets that.

It’s happened to many past clients that while they absolutely loved their gynecologist, once they were pregnant and labor and birthing questions start to surface, my clients realized that their favorite gynecologist who’s been in their family for decades is actually the not a good match for their birth.

While this might be a shock, this is actually not uncommon. The way the doctor reacts to every day medical procedures versus a transformational emotional experience like meeting your baby, can turn them into two completely different people.

Under pressure not everyone is YOUR ideal birth provider.

Many birth providers who are fantastic gynecologists thrive in a controlled setting where everything is by the book. They have this approach to birth too, forgetting that for many women it’s also a spiritual experience - you're transforming from a woman into a mother, you’ll never be the same.

Not all gynecologists will understand and that’s OK. Just because somebody has been your lifelong doctor who you trust with your life, does not mean that you are  emotionally ready to have them as part of your birth team. That does not mean you are betraying your loyalty to your gynecologist. It simply means that you are seeking a different experience. 

For example if you’ve always loved your gynecologist but are dreaming of a water birth and your doctor doesn’t do those, it’s completely OK to let them know that you’ve decided to go in a different direction for your birth because you want a different experience.

Be sure to follow me Monday November 9th - I’m going to be writing about why midwives are excellent gynecologists even if you’re not planning to have a baby any time soon, and even if your family is complete and you only need a strictly gynecological provider for all future visits.

EXPOSED MAGAZINE Cover Artist Photography August 2020 Birth Issue

PAULINA SPLECHTA

SOUTH FLORIDA BIRTH PHOTOGRAPHER

COVER ARTIST

EXPOSED MAGAZINE | Photography August 2020 Birth Issue

July 8, 2020 | Ft. Lauderdale, FL

I learned the exciting news that I was being considered for featured cover artist of @ex_posed_magazine August 2020 Birth Photographers issue with a 20 pages spread. 

I was so beyond excited but also nervous.

This was the first time I was experiencing something of this magnitude. I had been featured in many online publications, tv shows and interviews in multiple countries and have had the honor to be awarded many times in various photography image competitions (like BBH and IAPBP), and I even had a few of my breastfeeding photographs published in a book, but I had never been a cover artist for a photography magazine in print.

I had all the butterflies in my stomach and the shaky hands.

I eagerly responded to every email, message, sent every additional photo, answered every question, all in eager anticipation to find out if I would be the finalist for cover image.

July 26, 2020 | Ft. Lauderdale, FL

The magazine was officially in print and one of my most favorite images of my client Michelle and her husband Aaron, after her successful vbac (vaginal birth after c/section) with Boca Midwifery on the cover as well as a 20 page spread.

I was elated!! And humbled and beyond grateful to see a career spanning over a decade come to fruition in print.

It was a Sunday, and I had to wait until August to make my announce for their August issue… and I had to wait for my magazine copies to come in the mail because I wanted to announce with photos of myself with the magazine. I am so grateful to my best friend Martha from @zenmamalove for meeting with me at a local coffee shop and capturing me with my cover issue.

I scheduled a social media post for Monday, 8/10 to finally share the news I was so proud and humbled by.

But the following day, I learned of my sister's tragic diagnosis… when my mom called me just after 9AM.

Friday

August 7, 2020⠀

⠀My sister went to the hospital in pain suddenly by ambulance, and the diagnosis: stage 4 cancer, metastasized to the liver.

I did not know that day that my mom called that the doctors did not believe she would live through the weekend.

In retrospect, maybe we weren’t told because there was hope or maybe we weren’t told so it wouldn’t be as extreme of a shock to our system? I don’t think I will ever truly understand all of how it went down and why.

I never cried so hard in my life. I don't know what I felt, if scared, thinking we had months of chemo ahead of us? Or if deep inside I knew this was the end the moment I got the news. I don't know.

All I do know is that my world stood still.

According to the calendar, it’s actually been 11 weeks plus 3 days since I got that phone call from my mom and my world is still standing still. Everything around me is moving and its bizarre because I feel like I am standing in a snow globe, you shake it, everything moves, but I am standing still like that tiny snow man figurine inside.

Monday August 10, 2020

My sister lived through the weekend.

And Monday, August 10th, the other test results started coming in, because I guess in Europe everything is shut down over the weekend (a cultural difference I will likely never easily understand, having been raised to work hard around the clock in America).

The stage 4 breast cancer hadn’t only metastasized to her liver. It had also spread everywhere. Her brain, her bones, and more. It was a miracle or perplexing, complicated mind explosion how she hadn’t realized something else was going on that was beyond severe before, but it was also a miracle she was still with us on Monday.

I cancelled my social media post for August 10, 2020 because upon hearing that my sister passed away the early morning of Friday, August 14, 2020….

I decided I would not share this news at all, and tucked the magazine into my bookcase, and the photos deep into a folder, after that initial diagnosis phone call. I felt it was completely insignificant because in that moment I was ready to even sell the clothes off my back just to have my sister back. ⠀

Friday August 14, 2020

We ultimately had 7 days of my sister’s presence through phone call and occasionally facetime from Europe with us here in America.

Oddly, the further my sister’s health drifted from Earth, the closer my relationship got pulled to my sister’s daughter, my goddaughter.

Until the 7th day, she rested and was taken into heaven. ⠀

Losing my sister here on Earth as I have known her, getting messages from her on whatsapp, seeing her for holidays. Hearing her living voice with every new sentence that would be born the moment she would say it, losing all of this, brought me pain and confusion beyond anything I’d ever experienced.

Losing my family members from their personalities/habits/traits that I had known all them to have, and them all become transformed into a different version of themselves after her loss, has been something beyond anything I had ever experienced.

When I was in my first year of college, I had broken up with my boyfriend of 2 years, and my heart break was such a powerful emotion I withdrew from all 5 classes during my second semester at University of Florida and upon finding out, my parents showed up in Gainesville and told me I am coming home, without saying goodbye to any friends, or else. That day my world stood still. My jaw dropped. I was in a state of shock. I felt option less. I felt cornered into a wall. I felt misunderstood. I felt abandoned and alone. I felt many things as a 19 year old fresh college student being faced with what I felt was an impossibly difficult turn of events.

It’s been 16 years since that experience at UF. In retrospect, what an easy emotional/psychological experience that was to stomach compared to this.

This changed everything, and I know it has changed either temporarily or it’s changed everything forever, never to be the same again, and for lack of better words, everything absolutely sucks. It sucks.

But I somehow know I will get through this. And I will transform and evolve. Because I was prepared for this, unknowingly, my life of trials and tribulations led to a very strong woman and I have been built to rise.

Wednesday, August 26, 2020

It had been almost two weeks since my sister's passing.....

August 26, 2020 would have been my sister’s 53rd birthday which she celebrates from the other side, while we here on Earth have painfully broken hearts. ⠀
⠀
It was this day, my sister’s 53rd birthday that I decided I would share this magazine and this post

In the image above, I saw and enjoyed my sister here during end of June 2019/after fourth of July 2019, and I look at her eerily, with tears covering my face, as I was standing next to my sister who surely must have already been severely ill as approximately 13 months later she would be taken from us… My sister passed away from stage 4 breast cancer and we didn’t even know she was sick.

---

The first line of the magazine reads:

"Meet Paulina Splechta, our Cover Artist who is a first-generation immigrant from Poland"⠀

My sister who passed away on August 14th, her name is Agnieszka.

It's a very common name in Poland, where we were born, but not so much in the rest of the world.

Despite it being challenging to pronounce, my sister embraced her ancestry and used her birth-given-name on a daily basis with friends, neighbors and even work colleagues, with great pride and admiration for our entire background.⠀
⠀
So I dedicate this esteemed recognition as the Cover Artist in honor of my sister Agnieszka. I too celebrate and am proud be Polish, a hardworking artist, putting family and commitment to my given word on first place. This is for you sis.⠀
⠀
Happy Birthday in Heaven to my sweet sister Agnieszka.⠀
⠀
Thank you to all my clients who made this magazine possible.

---

October 26, 2020

Finally, today, two months after your 53rd birthday, that you spent celebrating in Heaven this year and all years to come, I finally was able to put together this blog post. It’s been impossibly hard to write anything after such a gut wrenching pain of losing the version of you I had gotten to know and love over 35 years, and it has been so sad because of all my Earthly limitations for what I am able to understand on Earth, to accept that the new version of you is one I can’t see or hear. So here I am, two months after your 53rd birthday, finally putting this blog post together to memorialize my dedication of this Cover Magazine to you my sister.

This is all for you my sister, I dedicate 100% of this all to you.

Until we meet again

Misconceptions about Birth Photography in Boca Raton, Florida

Misconceptions about Birth Photography

Misconception #1

➜⇢➜⇢➜ "I have a scheduled induction/scheduled c-section so it should be cheaper right?"

MYTH BUSTED:

Even mamas who are scheduled can go into labor (and have gone into labor) before their scheduled date, requiring birth photographers to be on-call, exactly the way a doctor is on-call.

Misconception #2

➜⇢➜⇢➜ "My husband has a go-pro so he can film and you can photograph right?"

MYTH BUSTED:

The chances your husband forgets about the go-pro the moment his baby is being born, or turns out he forgot to hit record, or he did but then it recorded the ceiling, all are very high chances (and have happened with many past births) that's why if you know you want your birth filmed AND photographed, hire the pro.

Misconception #3

➜⇢➜⇢➜ "I don't want my photos splattered all over the internet so I would never hire a birth photographer"

MYTH BUSTED:

Anywhere from 50% to 70% of the births I photograph (or film) are never shared online. Why? Because my clients request full privacy. I would never share their photos for internet fame. I value and respect my clients privacy above any business or popularity incentive.

Misconception #4

➜⇢➜⇢➜ "I'm just gonna ask my friend to photograph my birth since we've known her for 10 years and both my husband and me are more comfortable with her, and it's free"

MYTH BUSTED:

While it's great you've identified someone you trust to include as part of your birth team, unless they've photographed at least 10-20 births under high pressure, stress, unpredictable lighting and circumstances, the chances that their images will come out blurry, overblown (too bright you can't see anything) or too dark, or none at all because they'll get too emotional are very high. So check your priorities (no one can do this for you) if quality images are on the top of your list for must haves when you meet your baby for the first and only time, schedule an in-person or virtual consultation to gauge how comfortable you'd feel having me in your birthing space, so you don't have to risk losing the most important part of your motherhood journey to chance.

Misconception #5

➜⇢➜⇢➜ "I don’t want 100 ‘crotch shots’ or bloody, sweaty photos of myself, I don’t know why anyone would want that"

MYTH BUSTED:

While birth is definitely unpredictable, and it’s the further type of “photography” from a styled, makeup and hair glam photo shoot in a studio, and YES, there will 100% be a likelihood of blood, sweat and/or tears, it's 100% real life. When you are in your 50s, 60s, etc, you’ll look back at these images and the blood/sweat/tears won’t be what you focus on. You’ll focus on the gratitude for having a legacy of the first day of your child’s life, the first day you ‘met’ your child, their first breath, their first tear, and your face and your partners face filled with the deepest love and excitement of your lives having just met the love of your lives.

Rest assured, the ‘blood, sweat and tears’ will account for a minimal portion of your images, and a very important discussion with every single client is what they value. Majority of my families are somewhat modest and want birth stories they can share with families, friends and their own children, because all of those people cannot be there to witness their son or daughter’s first breath of life. My philosophy of my birth art work is: I am modest and tasteful. I am not shooting photos to go into a medical childbirth textbook, I am capturing moments filled with emotion of the most transformative moment of your lives, and therefore, above ‘crotch shots’ I value intimacy, love, emotions, connection and above all, family.

Approximately 70% of my clients request to not have a crotch shot photo, aka a crowning photo captured, and I am ok with that, it is their birth story, not mine, not the internet’s! And when you work with a professional birth story like me, who has attended over 100 births in 6 years, they know to be sensitive about these matters so that you as the birthing family can feel celebrated and respected.

(All amazing behind the scenes images courtesy of @zenmamalove )
#birthphotographer

What to Eat After Giving Birth - World Food Day Post

October 16th is World Food Day So I thought.... HEY! Why don't I show you what food my families have eaten at their births! So many expecting mothers in south Florida ask “what can I eat during labor?” and the more popular question is “What food will I eat after I give birth?” Also referred to as:

The First Postpartum Meal

What did you eat after you gave birth??

Throw an emoji down in the comments! 

If you're a Midwife/OB, do you focus on getting your mamas to eat as soon as possible following labor? Why or why not? 

Below I’d love to share a 10 image series with food from 10 different births! Can you relate to any of these meals? I made a note about which one I wish I could eat right now!!

Image #1

The Postpartum Salad

Think NOURISHING foods for postpartum

From makehomewarm Ashley’s birth --- this salad that I am totally drooling over was created by her amazing hubs @chefdanieldiaz Connect with him here daniel@americanoeats.com

Image #2

The Postpartum Sandwich (and a balance of fruits)

The delicious meal (wishing I could eat this now!) my mama @megliz.owoc had after she met her 4th baby (a beautiful baby girl named Carrington!)

Image #3

Meal example @baptisthealthsf at Boca Raton Regional Hospital in Boca Raton, FL

Meal you can anticipate in post partum. (from @thebestchels !) 

Image #4

This spread is from a special client who I've photographed TWO births for, baby #6 + baby #7

Image #5

One of my fav ever (Good Samaritan in West Palm Beach, FL) my client's OB said she needed energy for labor + birth and she ordered some breakfast from downstairs

Birth with Dr. Dudley Brown of @browninstitute

Image #6

We ordered local @naturalbirthworks salad looks incredible... 

Image #7

Delicious sushi

( @deliverydudes brought it over to Boca Regional) and @indiapaulino was up + eating while standing 1 hour after meeting her baby boy!!! #warriorwoman

Image #8

Boiling eggies

From my one unassisted home birth I attended 5 years ago

Image #9

It's not always food!

This mama was craving a diet coke after her successful vbac with @drjrudolph 4 years ago

Image #10

The Spread

My home birth family from the first day of school 4 years ago prepared the most amazing spread for their birth team! I will never forget it!! It was so thoughtful! 

Most images are from home births... there is always a delay with eating after many hospital births. Not all home birth mamas want to eat immediately, some have no appetite. I've witnessed certain midwives helping to find a food that sounds appetizing to each different mama after every birth. I am only at births for 1-2 hours post partum so you can see the difference in time eating after birth in home births v. hospital births.

#worldfoodday #worldfoodday2020

Pompano Beach Birth - Gear and Equipment Birth Photographers Bring to Births

Families often ask me “what gear or equipment will you be bringing with you to our birth?”

Rest assured, no large camcorders, microphones nor light reflectors will be coming along with me to capture your birth story.

I am a big proponent to being unobtrusive at births. I wish to capture your birth story as it naturally unravels but without drawing any attention to myself.

During labor, you can find me standing quietly in the background holding only my camera like the image above.

I am usually wearing fresh scrubs too.

These days, a face mask is an essential part of a birth worker’s uniform as well.

Here’s what else you’ll find in my camera bag

Canon 5D Mark III with a 50mm 1.4 lens

Canon 5D Mark IV with a 28mm 1.8 lens

Altura AP-UNV2 Speedlite

Extra batteries for the speedlite, for both cameras and chargers

Small snacks to keep my energy up during longer births, bottles of water, coffee to keep me away, a jacket because my body temperature always seems to fluctuate and I get cold, and allergy medicine because I am often allergic to furbabies.

19 Questions for Home Birth Midwives in South Florida, Fort Lauderdale and Boca Raton

Home Birth in South Florida, especially during a pandemic is the number one thought on every single pregnant mother’s mind right now, so if you can’t stop thinking about this, and seem to have a million and one questions to ask a home birth midwife. know that you are not alone.

Three years ago, I released a list of questions to ask a home birth midwife. Today, I am updating this list, in addition to including current, updated answers for some of the most important topics that every mom needs to know before she decides if to have a home birth.

Onto the Questions Below ↓

1. WHAT DO MIDWIVES BRING TO HOME BIRTHS?

   If you think midwives show up empty handed and untrained to home births, just in time to catch a baby, you're not alone. This is the first myth we breakdown below with Midwife Michelle Cerami of @eastcoastmidwifery:
   ⠀
   Midwife Michelle: ⠀
   This is a commonly asked question when exploring home birthing with a midwife. ⠀

   
   I bring a lot of things - medical supples, equipment, etc - I set everything up and rarely ever need to use any of it. ⠀
   ⠀
   These items are readily available if needed, should any issue or complication arise and typically they all get packed up again untouched. ⠀
   ⠀
   ie. Oxygen, IV fluids, antibiotics, anti-hemorrhagic medications, resuscitation equipment, urine catheter. ⠀
   ⠀
   What I really BRING to a birth is my calm understanding, my loving compassion, and my trust for physiological birthing.⠀
   ⠀
   The more commonly used items at birth from monitoring mom and baby during labor include :⠀
   Stethoscope, blood pressure cuff, thermometer, doppler and fetoscope⠀
   ⠀
   Comfort items on hand include : Heating pad, ice pack, rebozo, herbs, essential oils ⠀
   ⠀
   And of course, the #1 comfort item for labor : Birth Tub. Available for all to use during labor and or birthing.⠀
   ⠀
   You can follow Midwife Michelle @eastcoastmidwifery ⠀

   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eastcoastmidwifery

   Web: http://www.eastcoastmidwifery.com/about-us

2. WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU GET EXHAUSTED FROM PUSHING? ⠀⠀
   AND BABY GETS STUCK IN THE BIRTH CANAL? ⠀

   (Answer below)

Midwife Michelle:
- Preparing your body for birth can prevent exhaustion in labor including during the second stage (pushing).⠀
- This includes good nutrition, high quality supplements, hydration, and daily movement practice. ⠀
- Nourishing your body and staying hydrated while in early and active labor are essential to maintaining energy levels.⠀
- Having a birth team who will support you and ensure you are well nourished during the birthing process. ⠀
- When you have a physiological birth outside the hospital without intervention the hormonal shifts that happen are undisturbed and allow a spike in adrenaline precisely when needed.⠀
- Mobility in labor i.e. frequent movement and change in position of the birthing person, allows baby to navigate the pelvis effectively. ⠀
- Birthing in an upright position allows for a shorter more effective second stage.⠀
- Waiting for spontaneous pushing and fetal ejection reflex is key to shortening the length of second stage and preventing exhausting.⠀
⠀
Michelle Cerami is a licensed midwife and certified professional midwife serving families throughout south Florida since 2015. She is a home birthing mother of two who is passionate about physiological autonomous birth. Her private practice, East Coast Midwifery, is rooted in traditional mother centered care where intuition is honored and choice is respected. Families in her care are truly supported and deeply loved.⠀

3. BUT WHAT IF I HEMORRHAGE?

I asked Midwife Christa West of @coastalmidwife on the most requested question: What happens if I hemorrhage? ⠀
⠀
Midwife Christa:

Hemorrhage in the postpartum period is fairly rare. I have transferred 4 women in 8.5 years of practicing for complications related to hemorrhage. ⠀
⠀
At home births, your baby is placed on your chest immediately after birth and is not bothered until after the first breastfeeding has occurred which helps shrink the uterus and diminish the risk of bleeding.⠀
⠀
There are some predisposing factors that will contribute to an increased likelihood of hemorrhaging but these factors don’t indicate that you will bleed excessively for sure. ⠀
⠀
If we notice that a woman acquires some of these factors, we will keep and extra close eye to make sure everything goes smoothly. ⠀
⠀
Home birth midwives carry medications and herbs that help stop excessive bleeding and control the hemorrhage. We also have capabilities of setting up an IV if necessary. ⠀
⠀
If a woman is in need of additional medical assistance other than what her midwife can provide at home, we will then transfer her to the hospital for additional support. ⠀
⠀
Once again, keep in mind that hemorrhage is rare and in a normal, healthy woman with a normal labor and birth, it is not a huge concern in most cases.⠀
⠀
For more questions about hemorrhage, DM or comment below⠀
Midwife Christa is always available to connect with new expecting families at @coastalmidwife ⠀

Web: http://coastalmidwifery.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CoastalMidwifery/

4. QUESTION TO YOURSELF: IS THIS THE RIGHT MIDWIFE FOR ME?

Ultimately, as skilled, recommended and compassion a midwife might be, they won't be the right midwife for you unless they meet your personal criteria.

I spoke with home birth midwife Sandy Lobaina on the phone yesterday, and she explained to me that choosing to birth at home or at a birth center is not just a decision, it is a path. Families making that choice need to be committed and ready.

As an innately wise woman, you carrying with you the gift of motherly instinct and intuition to guard yourself and your little growing life. I urge you to consider the following:

When you interview a home birth midwife, once the interview is complete, and you return home, allow yourself quiet, down time to reflect on the experience. Allow yourself to process how the meeting went.

How did you feel as the midwife spoke?

How did the things she said make you feel? 

Did she let you feel heard and not rushed?

Did her personality help you to feel connected and instantly safe and supported?

Take note of what feelings may rise from your instincts.

Those feelings will always be 100% right. 

They will become LOUD during your pregnancy and birth.

There is a difference, of course, between leaving the meeting with a midwife and realizing you have more questions for her, and feel unsettled until you follow up and clear up uncertainties. Not every first meeting will be perfectly complete.

However, if you feel hesitant or unsure regarding your very first meeting, and if any negative feelings are present, as your pregnancy proceeds, take into consideration that those instinctual feelings you had the first time will become louder and more pronounced and ultimately, unavoidable. It is impossible to hush the roar of your maternal instincts without compromising your peace. I speak so profoundly to this matter because I have lived this reality with my own experiences. 

Alternately, if during the very first meeting with a midwife you felt connected, safe, supported, and you smiled, perhaps a tear welled up in your eye because you felt like you found 'home' with this person, those feelings will amplify as you get closer to your meeting day with your baby and aid in creating a positive mindset for your labor and birth and boost your self confidence. And in order to have the peaceful, calm birth you desire, you must believe in yourself and feel supported in your decisions.

4. MEDICAL SITUATIONS & TRANSFERS

What kind of medical situations during pregnancy would require me to be transferred into the care of an OBGYN?

Under what circumstances would you transfer to the hospital? In the event of a transfer, will you stay with me and support me through my entire birth and for the first couple of hours once the baby is born?

What constitutes a non-emergent transfer vs. emergent transfer? Where do I go in the event of a non-emergent transfer vs. emergent transfer? Who is your back up OBGYN, Who is your back up midwife in the event you have an emergency when I am giving birth? How many weeks ‘overdue’ could I go before you transferred my care to a doctor? How many minimum weeks pregnant must I be to be able to have a home birth (36 weeks? 37 weeks? 38 weeks?) What is your hospital transfer rate?

5. BABY CATCHING, SKIN TO SKIN AND UMBILICAL CORD

What are your feelings on me or my partner or spouse catching the baby?  Will you assist us in birthing our baby? What are your feelings about delayed cord clamping, placenta encapsulation, skin to skin and breast crawl?

6. HOW MANY BABIES HAVE YOU CAUGHT?

(From the mamabirth.com website, "Some mothers prefer a very experienced midwife, some don't. Some want a midwife who can handle anything that goes wrong and recognize it well before it even happens.  If one of the midwives is newer, maybe her back up OBGYN is more experienced and she may prefer to transfer you than handle a situation on her own.  You may want to know how many births they attended prior to being licensed AND after.") 

 How long have you been practicing midwifery? Why did you become a midwife? What is your training/education/certification?

7. GESTATIONAL DIABETES

Under what circumstances can you continue to be my midwife if I test positive for gestational diabetes?

8. INSURANCE AND PAYMENTS

How does it work with my insurance covering your midwifery services, how much do you charge, and by what date would the full amount be due? Do you accept payment plans? What is your refund policy if we decide to switch care providers or need to be transferred for birthing.

9. POST PARTUM CARE

What kind of postpartum care do you offer? Do you work with post partum doulas? Can you recommend a post partum doula or other post partum support to help with extended post partum matters such as breastfeeding and latch issues, help with meals and baby sleep.

Do you do placenta encapsulation? Is there an extra charge? Do you facilitate water birth? What methods of pain management do you recommend?

10. MY PARTNER’S FEARS AND CONCERNS

My partner has x, y, z fears about home birth. How have you dealt with this in the past?

11. COMMUNICATION

What is your preferred method of communication, prenatally (phone, email, text)?

12. BIRTH TEAM

Who comes with you to the birth?  If that person is another midwife? 

13. WHEN DO YOU COME

At what point during my labor will you come to my home? When should I call you?

*** Mention any concerns at this point about a history of labors women in your family have had that may be of importance to you for your birth 

14. VITAMIN K AND EYE OINTMENT

What are the pros and cons of vitamin K shot and eye ointment

15. WHAT DO I NEED TO BUY FOR A HOME BIRTH

Do I need to order a home birth kit on my own or do you bring it and include it in your fees?

Do you bring an inflatable water birthing tub with you or do I need to privately rent one and purchase a tub liner for it? How easy is it to connect a hose to your sink to fill a tub and are there certain plumbing situations that could prevent that?

16. DO YOU PREFER WORKING WITH A DOULA AT HOME BIRTHS? WOULD YOU RECOMMEND I HIRE ONE?

17. EDUCATION

Do you offer or suggest taking childbirth preparation courses?

18. DURATION

How long will you and/or your support team stay with mom and baby after the birth? And when do you come back for post partum visits. How many postpartum visits are offered under your care and on what days do these visits occur?

 19. BREASTFEEDING

Is breastfeeding support offered? Is there a virtual breastfeeding education class I can take during pregnancy. What items can I purchase during pregnancy to be ready for anything once my baby is born

Miramar Home Birth with Midwife Christa West: Embracing the Art of Real Life

I received a call from Shanitra mid-afternoon, her voice signaling that her home birth journey was unfolding rapidly. Dropping everything, I rushed to her Fort Lauderdale home, ready to capture the raw beauty of this intimate experience.

Calm Amidst Intensity: A Home Birth Guided by Intuition

Upon arriving at Shanitra's home, I was immediately struck by the peaceful atmosphere. Her midwife, the esteemed Christa West, moved with a calm assurance that instilled confidence in everyone present. Shanitra's family welcomed me with open arms, their warmth and excitement palpable. The personalized t-shirts she had lovingly created for her birth team revealed her thoughtful nature and set the stage for a truly connected and supportive birth experience.

Intimate Connection

Witnessing the unwavering support and love between Arndre and his wife as she embraces the power of labor in their tranquil home birth setting.

Empowering Labor: A Symphony of Support

Shanitra's labor was a testament to the strength and resilience of women. Supported by her loving family and the expert guidance of Christa and her midwifery students, she navigated each contraction with grace. Their constant presence and intuitive adjustments ensured Shanitra's comfort and progress, demonstrating the power of collaborative midwifery care.

A Breathtaking Arrival: Baby is Born!

As we gathered in the hallway, sharing stories and laughter, the moment of birth arrived swiftly. Water broke, and within moments, baby crowned. Dad, guided by Dawna’s calm instructions, caught his baby with unwavering love. It was a scene of pure joy, relief, and profound connection.

Relief.

I don’t think I have ever seen two midwifery students at a home birth plus the main midwife. I LOVED it. I LOVED everything I got to hear and learn. Makes me want to go through midwifery school just to learn. (not to be a midwife). I am obsessed with the beautiful information.

THIS WAS THE RADDEST FREAKIN' MOMENT when Dawna laid baby girl out for me to capture the POWERFUL organ that GAVE THIS CHILD LIFE! There is NOTHING AS AMAZING as the power of the placenta!! You're either freaking out together with me about how amazing this is, how you WISH you had this exact photo of your babies (GIRL I HEAR YOU and I WISH I had this photo of my girls and their placentas - I never even saw how my first daughter's placenta even looked it) OR MAYBE YOU'RE LOW KEY FREAKING OUT THAT THIS IMAGE IS A LITTLE GROSS. Let me be the first birth worker to tell you: THAT'S OK! It's important to hold space for the fact that nobody is expecting you to be a birth advocate from the very first time you're exposed to birth. It's OK if the first time you saw a placenta or heard about placenta consumption made you cringe a little bit. I TOTALLY DID! You're NOT alone. ✋✋✋ What the difference for me personally was, when I got pregnant with my second child, and I thought back on my post partum with my first child and I realized how difficult PPD (post partum depression) was for me. I didn't want to go through that again. I began my research. When I learned placenta encapsulation (dehydrate placenta > encapsulate the powdered substance.... all in a sterile process) can help you have a defense against that and other post partum challenges, and I confirmed it was sanitary/not dangerous - I was instantly on board. (SPOILER: I totally couldn't have done a 2nd post partum with my second baby without my placenta pills) But besides the obvious benefit to YOU, this is a powerful organ your baby and your body grows and produces as a powerhouse of nutrients to grow your baby up until the very first moment your baby takes their very first breath in your arms. That is mind blowing. There is NO OTHER organ in existence that can do this. #placenta

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Have you ever just fallen in love with a kid! I love this little boy! I am so lucky and grateful I convinced him to give his mama a kiss on her cheek (when he thought no way!)

I just love this so much

Is Home Birth Safe? | South Florida Home Birth Midwife Answers

IS HOME BIRTH SAFE?

Fact-Based

Q&A

from Home Birth Licensed Midwives

Regarding home birth

&

Birth Center Birth⠀
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Licensed Midwife Christa West from Coastal Midwifery, serving clients in the tri-county area for 8 years and over 400 births, answers one of the most common questions from south FL families: ⠀
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Is home birth safe?⠀
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Midwife Christa:

Studies have proven home birth to be just as safe as hospital birth when the provider and client have a back up plan in place. ⠀

Midwives are trained to handle emergency situations but what we really do is detect complications before they are even complications. Most obstetrical emergencies give little hints prior to arising and since you are the only client your midwife is present with during labor, it makes it much easier to detect these abnormal situations early on. If our remedies are not resolving the concerns, then we go to the hospital. Many midwives recommend a prearranged back-up doctor that we will transfer to if complications arise. ⠀
We carry supplies like oxygen, IV supplies, deep suctioning equipment for baby and medication to stop bleeding. We also attend births with a trained assistant, both parties are certified in CPR and Neonatal resuscitation. ⠀

98% of home birth transfers are non-emergent meaning you get in your car, I get in mine and we drive to the hospital. ⠀

Most people think that a midwife shows up to a birth “bare handed” to catch a baby, with little to no supplies and prays everything goes well. This is certainly not the case, we monitor our clients throughout pregnancy labor and postpartum to ensure they remain low risk.⠀

It is important to remember that pregnancy and childbirth are a natural occurrence and the majority of the time everything goes very smoothly. Our bodies are made to do this work. The midwife is present to ensure everything is normal and safe throughout the pregnancy, birth and postpartum period. Home birth with a trained midwife IS A SAFE OPTION for low risk pregnancies.⠀
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You can follow midwife Christa: @coastalmidwife⠀
coastalmidwifery.com⠀
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Stay tuned these next 2 weeks for other local licensed midwives answering questions in written posts + live Q&A

Session Locations

Coral Springs Park Below

Delray Beach Park Below

South Boca Park Below

West Boca Park Below

Central Boca Park Below

Why Birth Photography Costs So Much

Why Birth Photography Costs So Much

Have you ever wondered why birth photography costs so much? You’re not alone. Read on for an explanation of the amount of work a photographer has to do for a birth. Spoiler: The birthing day isn’t even half of it.

Births can be so expensive, with the hospital or midwife bill, formula and/or lactation consultant support, the baby clothes, the nursery room furniture, the anesthesia bill or labor doula fees; the list goes on and on and on. Add the cost of the photographer on top of the list, and it can feel overwhelming, and it will make you wonder why birth photography costs so much. We’re here to break it down from a photographer’s perspective so you can understand all the work that goes on behind the scenes.

Time

The amount of time a birth photographer spends on a birth factors into why birth photography costs so much. The time spent can be broken down into five categories: client meetings, pre-birth preparation, hours, days, weeks and month of on-call time, the birthing day, and the editing.

Client Meetings

The client meeting is more than just the initial interview between the couple and the photographer to see if they’re a fit for one another. There will be subsequent meetings to update the photographer on the planning process and to discuss the birthing day. A good birth photographer will periodically check in with their couple starting at 28 weeks to see if everything is going well with the pregnancy, how prenatal visits are going, and reminding the couple how to stay in proper and clear communication during these last 12 to 14 weeks of their pregnancy so that once labor does begin, the photographer will have anticipated it for months and can arrive at the correct timing. Sometimes these meetings can be done via video chat, but sometimes they require the photographer to travel away from their home to meet with the couple at their doctor or midwife’s office. This process takes a few hours.

Pre - Birth Preparation

The pre-birth preparation also factors into why birth photography costs so much. If the birth package includes a maternity shoot, fresh 48 shoot, siblings meeting shoot, and/or coming home shoot, and depending on the location where you are planning on giving birth, a photographer has to account for traveling time, photographing the couple, and editing the photos. There is often extra communication involved to get acquainted with the important people in the couples lives leading up to the day of the birth, especially if any grandparents, other family members or friends or the baby’s big brother or big sister will be coming to the birth during early labor or in the first few hours or days after the baby is born. is a new one for the photographer. The photographer needs to guide you on what to wear, since most people these days no longer wish to wear the hospital issued gown. Your photographer might even be looking online for inspiration via new angles to try shooting from or for a new take on a photo they’ve shot dozens of times. They need to prepare and pack their gear, and they need to mentally run through the shots they plan on taking. This will take your photographer another 7-10 hours depending on the length of the maternity shoot and the length of the birth session.

On-Call Time

On-Call time, also referred to as standby time, is similar to how a doctor is on-call for their patients. From the moment you are working with your birth photographer, they are on-call for your family exclusively, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, until your baby is born. This means that they must drop everything at a moment’s notice if your water suddenly breaks a couple of weeks before your due date and rush to meet you at the location you’re giving birth, even if that means leaving their own engagements, such as one of their children’s birthday parties, or even Christmas Eve dinner. That also means being on-call for you even if you end up going past your estimate due date. Did you know only 5% of people go into labor on their estimated due date? That means the other 95% of people go into labor at some point roughly between 36 weeks and 42 weeks. That means nothing on the birth photographer’s schedule can be set in stone until your baby is born, even if you go 1 or 2 weeks past your estimated due date.

Birthing Day

The birthing day is anywhere from 5 hours long for moms having their 3rd or 4th babies, and can be even 40 hours long for first time moms, there is zero predictability when it comes to birth because every baby and every pregnancy is completely unique, while we can make guesstimates, they rarely are 100% accurate. Plus the drive time for the photographer too and from home. Some births may require the photographer to travel longer distances. It is not uncommon for photographers to travel 2-3 hours one way from their hometown to cover a birth story. Travel time has to be incorporated into a photographer’s cost of doing business. Every good birth photographer knows life happens and emergencies are real and will work with not only a reliable back up photographer, but also someone who intimately understands the birth process and is an excellent photographer, that person has to be paid as well. You’re suddenly getting the equivalent of anywhere from 12 to 46 hours of work when your 5 to 20 hour birth package includes two photographers.

Editing

Finally, editing is probably the most time-consuming aspect of a birth next to on-call time. Editing is one of the reasons why birth photography costs so much. Your photographer could take dozens of photos seconds apart to avoid missing a particular moment or they might be much more selective with each shot they take. So a birth photographer can photograph anywhere between 50-70 photos per hour. For a 15 hour birth that could be approximately 1000 photos. Now your photographer needs to cull these photos: separate the best photos from the average or sub-par ones. The time varies depending on the photographer, but it would probably take 3-4 hours to cull the images for a 15-hour birth.

The actual editing process takes much longer and is an even more significant factor in why birth photography cost so much. The photographer can sometimes apply a specific editor preset to multiple photos at once, but then they will go through each picture individually to manually adjust these presets to give the photo the perfect final look. Expect this process to take another 8-24 hours. Plus your photographer will probably leave your photos for some days before coming back with fresh eyes to correct any overlooked imperfections before sending you your photos.

If we’re counting hours, at the very minimum, your photographer has spent 24 hours of their time on the various aspects of one birth. This doesn’t even include the time needed to create a birth album. Now you might be wondering why your photographer takes so many weeks to send you the photos after your birth. Remember your photographer has other births to photograph, they may also have different types of photo shoots to attend, more client meetings, other client photos to edit, and their own family life.

Gear

Phew – that last section was super detailed, I promise this one will be much more succinct. After on-call time, your birth photographer’s gear is probably the third biggest reason why birth photography costs so much.

A birth photographer has at a very minimum two camera bodies to work with. This is to reduce the amount of time they have to spend switching between lenses – especially at crucial moments like the first look the moment your baby is born. This is also, so they have a backup camera if the worst case scenario happens and the camera stops working. They will have an absolute minimum of 2 lenses in their camera bag for various looks and aesthetics. One lens for super close up detail shots and one lens for the bulk of your birth story photos.

Your birth photographer will also have flashes, spare batteries and memory cards. The cost of all these items together run into tens of thousands of dollars.

Talent

I would argue that this is the number one reason birth photography costs so much. You hire a birth photographer based on the look of and the quality of work they produce. It takes so much time for a photographer to develop their shooting technique, to find their perfect editing style, to find the best way to interact with each to bring out the best reactions and expressions for photos. This takes both natural talent and high dedication to practice until they reach the ever elusive perfection. A good photographer is always paying for new workshops and researching better methods to get the results they’re looking for. They will keep an eye on which gear is the best to give you the ultimate level of quality.

You are paying for talent and experience. This is a day that you can’t recreate if something goes wrong. You want to pay for the assurance that the person photographing your big day knows how to handle any sort of lighting, any setbacks or time delays, and knows how to smoothly handle prominent personalities and reluctant subjects.

Business Expenses

Finally, your photographer has their own set of business expenses that also factor into why birth photography costs so much. There will be photographer’s insurance, accountants or accounting software, client management software to keep everything organized, and online gallery services to name a few. Not to mention, every good birth photographer has taken birth education courses to understand the physiological and medical side to birth, along with the photographic. Any physical product photographers offer couples is another expense. A computer and photo editing software is essential for a photography business.

Photography is an Investment

It is YOUR Investment

There are quite a few smaller expenses I have failed to mention to limit the length of this article. Hopefully, you have a better appreciation for why birth photography costs so much. Often birth photographers are swallowing some of these costs when starting their business to draw in more clients. They deserve a chance to earn those investments into their business back. They also deserve a chance to earn enough to support their family and to save for retirement, the way a 9-5 career does.

Finally, remember that most, if not ALL birth stories are going to occur on unpredictable dates. This means birth photographers are completely limited to the number of clients they can accept, to ensure their clients births do not overlap.  Rest assured, photographers that charge a lot of money are incredibly talented and wholly dedicated to their craft.