How Important is Modesty in Birth Photography & Birth Education in South Florida

MODEST PHOTOS

Today I want to talk about modesty in birth, modesty in the photos you share online from your birth, and what modesty means to families - moms, dads, birth workers, doctors, midwives, nurses, etc.

I know I know I KNOW — so many of y’all follow me because I AM MODEST. Heck, I don’t even wear low cut tops myself (unless it’s to go out dancing lol) because I am QUITE modest in many areas of my life. But a huge huge personal goal I have for myself in 2021 and frankly every year moving forward with my birth work is to work towards shattering this misconception that we have that sharing birth photos is indecent exposure that makes us all dishonorable or something if we show too much skin - or God forbid our privates.

WHY YOU OVERSHARING YOUR WHOLE LIFE, YOUR PRIVATE MOMENTS??? they say AT US, condescending. Gas lighting us into thinking WE ARE DOING SOMETHING WRONG.

Well where has keeping things private gotten us MOMS? I’ll say it again, where has NOT TALKING ABOUT birth and NOT SHOWING PHOTOS of how birth truly looks and staying MODEST AF gotten us MOMS? Where has it truly gotten us?

BIRTH TRAUMA?
Heavy on the interventions births?
PTSD?
Post partum anxiety, pp depression?
Feeling like NOBODY understands what we went through in childbirth, how freaking tough it was, what we overcame, being entirely misunderstood by the most intimate people in our lives?

We've avoided teaching our children the truth about how POWERFUL CHILD BIRTH AND WOMEN ARE and instead we tell them stories about storks, to what, preserve their innocence? Or perhaps to deprive them the truth that birthing women are legends.

Let's ask ourselves once more and LOUDLY, why are we hiding RAW FEMININE DIVINE behind closed doors with shame?

Thank you graciously to this mama for permitting me to share the beauty and raw power of childbirth with you!

And thank you to my friend, Midwife Tyler @thalvaksz_midwife of @whpmidwives who does not fear powerful birthing mothers, she's prepared for any birth I've had the honor of attending alongside of her, and she's not afraid to hold the mother, to kneel in front of the mother, and even to step back when dad's got this.

WOOOO What a way to start this week off!

#southfloridadoula
#southfloridabirthphotographer
#unmedicatedbirth
#hospitalbirth
#hospitalmidwife
#midwifery

Restrictions - Doulas are Essential or Non-Essential in South Florida L&D Hospitals?

Restrictions in South Florida Hospital are going back up

And unfortunately what we are seeing in the birth community, is hospitals treating their patient’s birth teams as non-essential

Now, I am not a very confrontational person, I do not write a lot of hot button, controversial topics, but here is where I absolutely, hands down must interject because I see something inherently wrong with this entire system designed to protect that is perpetuating that misconception that when a woman is in labor, her doula is non-essential and therefore will be flagged falsely as a visitor and not allowed into Labor and Delivery.

LETS STOP PRETENDING that labor and delivery is the same as every other department in a hospital.

Let’s stop 🛑 ✋🏻 pretending that L&D should have the same restrictions as every other department in a hospital.

Let’s stop 🛑 ✋🏻 pretending that it is OKAY to leave a woman and her partner(or spouse) to labor ALONE. Because no matter how amazing an LD nurse, a CNM (Certified Nurse Midwife) or OBGYN is, there are not enough of them to sit together with laboring women and their partners for the entirety of each of their labors, and we know that while some come into the hospital in active labor and birth shortly after, most other moms go on to laboring for 12-40 hours, there is not enough hospital hired birth workers to support every mama for her entire labor.

What is the solution to this you ask?

DOULAS.

[Doulas provide emotional, physical and educational support to a mother who is experiencing labor.]

The fact that hospitals are extending restrictions to Doulas is not a safety precaution. It is an administrative decision.

Doulas have never been and will never be “visitors”

Doulas have families too they are putting as risk by walking into a hospital during this time.

Doulas don’t go into hospitals because it’s so fun and exciting to visit with new & expecting Moms.

Doulas are essential in labor and delivery not only to birthing moms but also to their partner/spouse who often times needs support too.

Then what can be done to provide safety during high risk times?

Labor and delivery can be safe by not allowing nonessential-people in during restrictions.

But the parents’ support person, whether you call them a Doula or not, is ESSENTIAL.

What can I do to have my Doula at my birth?

First things first, I personally only know of 1 singular hospital that has allowed labor doulas in Labor and Delivery for the entire 18 months (Boca Raton Regional Hospital). However, the does not mean there are not other hospitals that are permitting you to bring your doula into Labor and Delivery with you. But as things change locally, your hospital will respond differently. Finding out what the current protocols are can be useful, but also know that they can change at any point.

Next, be an advocate for yourself. Insist with your provider and your hospital Labor and Delivery management for an exception. The biggest advocate is you. You are hiring and paying your provider to serve you. You are hiring and paying your hospital’s labor and delivery (and even your anesthesiologist) to serve you. Be your own advocate and don’t let anyone fear monger you. Find out Florida laws for Labor and Delivery, some hospitals have them posted as clear as day, if you want into labor and delivery, they cannot refuse you. And if you are adamant and adamant and adamant and advocate for yourself that you want and need your doula.

No change will occur unless mothers stand up for themselves.

Doulas cannot push their way into Labor and Delivery, because Doulas cannot possibly want to be in labor and delivery more than moms want them there.

The sooner we stop pretending that LD is the same like other departments that are purely medical, and acknowledge that women in labor need support: emotional, psychological, sometimes spiritual, informational & also medical, the sooner Birth Trauma can step out of these restrictions and parents can truly continue to feel safe in their birthing experiences.

*Disclaimer: these are my opinions and not all hospitals have restricted Doulas, But I know only one that has continued supporting their patients during the entirety of the last 18 months with permitting patients to bring their doulas the entire time.

#therealtruth

What Does Birth Trauma Awareness Week Mean Really in South Florida???

It's Birth Trauma Awareness Week and some birth workers in the birth community are saying that we should really call it what it really is: “Obstetric Violence Awareness Week”.

I wanted to share my two cents on this topic because I experienced birth trauma myself and reading this today, it was a bit of a trigger for me! I feel that this is not the entire piece of the pie and that there's many other factors to be considered when talking about birth trauma, and we should not just slap statistics of OB violence and call it a day, putting it all on them. There are many other players and many other factors that contribute to birth trauma.

We need to discuss.

First of all, Obstetric violence in south Florida (and all of America) 100% exists.

There are a lot of obstetricians out there whose bedside manner is remarkably questionable.

I have seen it first hand (I’ve worked as a birth worker in MANY hospitals in south Florida from Jupiter Medical and Palms West in Palm Beach County all the way to Broward Health Coral Springs and the Memorial Regional Hospital Networks, Mount Sinai in Miami, Broward General Fort Lauderdale and even Holy Cross, many many more, so I have seen obstetric violence and poor obstetric bedside manner and it’s very real). But if we are being completely honest, it is not always Obstetric Violence what causes Birth Trauma, grouping Obstetric Violence & a poor bedside mannered OBGYN together is completely falsifying the root cause of birth trauma.

You can’t group a negligent / abusive OB/GYN with one that has a poor bedside manner — one is wildly horrifying and an injustice and one is being a jerk.

Neither is OK.

BUT it is NOT THE SAME.

Both certainly exist and are prevalent in our country and especially here in the tri-county area of south Florida where I work, and BOTH can certainly cause birth trauma but we need to discuss why and also what else besides the actual obstetrician can there be birth trauma. Read further…..

HOW SOMEONE’S PERSONALITY CAN IMPACT BIRTH TRAUMA / PERCEPTION

ONE EXAMPLE, ME

How can personality impact birth trauma? Let’s talk about personalities… I am an incredibly sensitive and gentle woman. I observe how people speak to me and to others, are they gentle and sensitive and present (or not) and how that makes me feel and how it makes others feel.

And just because I want my birth team to be gentle, sensitive and patient does not mean I have to be approached with “gloves on” because I’m too childish or sensitive. Let’s not pretend sensitivity is something to be ashamed of, and let’s not be condescending saying that only “needy” women pay attention to bedside manner (recently said to me by a person who said they don’t care if their provider is nice and warm, only medically competent).

So an obstetrician who isn't sensitive patient and gentle could be seen by myself as a bad doctor for not being the provider that I need them to be (warm) and this could later down the road contribute to birth trauma.

ANOTHER EXAMPLE

Whereas another birthing woman may not pay as much attention to how gentle or sensitive their doctor is because that's not something they take notice of, and it is not a priority for them. She may be focusing on am I healthy, is the baby ok, and accepting ‘matter of fact’ responses from her provider without needing a warm, sensitive presence, and she’s 100% OK with that.

That doesn’t mean she’s heartless. That doesn’t mean she has no emotions and is not sensitive. It just means different.

And so for a mama like this, birth trauma from a not-warm OB during a complicated birth may not occur. Instead, the birth trauma may occur due to medical or physical causes.

HOW SOMEONE’S BODY [uterus, cervix] OR BABY CAN IMPACT BIRTH TRAUMA

When our baby or our uterus takes the wheel

Sometimes our bodies or our babies completely take the wheel and no matter what our education & preparation for pregnancy/childbirth or our confidence in our ability to birth is, or even if we have the best birth team we could've possibly hired for ourselves, there's such a curveball thrown our way that no one ever saw coming and that on its own despite our best efforts and a super supportive birth team can leave us with birth trauma.

This does happen more commonly then we are led to believe.

I have often seen a very prepared and confident mama have to be completely flexible and go with the flow because nothing that she prepared for even remotely went according to plan.

My bestie wanted an epidural, but gave birth in 96 minutes and didn’t get to have one, guess what, she loved her birth team and loved her OB, but still considers it a traumatic birth. So who is going to tell her otherwise???

WHAT OTHER FACTORS BESIDES PROVIDER, PERSONALITY, BODY AND BABY CAN CONTRIBUTE TO BIRTH TRAUMA?

HOW DOES INTUITION, OR IGNORING YOUR INTUITION AFFECT BIRTH TRAUMA?

I also don't think that 100% of the blame during birth trauma awareness week should be placed on obstetric violence because there's a heck of a lot more people in the birth community who hold similar levels of responsibility for a women's birth trauma besides just OBGYNS.

For example I hired a home birth midwife and a labor doula for my second birth and it was far more traumatic for me than my first birth.

[It's important to note that this is my singular personal biased experience so my experience is different from everybody else's]

Both of my births were negative experiences because I chose the wrong birth teams each time.

I did not listen to my intuition and I let things such as insurance, accessibility, finances and fear control how I chose my birth teams which is not a place that anyone should be starting from when building their birth team so please keep that in mind when it comes to my own biased personal experience.

However, please note, and this is important because my first birth was with an OBGYN I hired, that I don't recall my first birth as traumatic (even though it was very scary), I never associated it with the words birth trauma.

It wasn't until my second birth that I truly experienced what I personally perceived as birth trauma, I felt that my birth team did not support me and was thinking how much longer is she going to be in labor, I felt like I was inconveniencing them because I was a high maintenance mom who needed a lot of emotional support [which now as a Doula myself six years later I provide my clients with lots of emotional support and I specialize in working with women who struggle with anxiety] which I feel my Doula back then had not a single inkling of intuition about the anxiety that was preventing my labor from progressing. I also feel abandoned by them when I was transferred to the hospital and I feel like the trauma that occurred to me during my second birth went completely over their heads.

That is my perception. Everyone else thought it was a good birth. But my perception is valid. My trauma is valid. So is yours if you’ve ever been made to feel like you should be grateful for a healthy mom, healthy baby and forget about your trauma, by the way.

HOW DOES CHOICE AFFECT BIRTH TRAUMA?

However there's another component to all of this that I haven't yet discussed which was that it was my choice, (regardless of the fact that it was a poor choice that was made on my part), it was my choice nonetheless to hire those people to be my birth team.

In fact, as part of my own processing and healing from that second birth experience over these last 6 years, was taking back my power and accepting that my choices lead me down the path to my experience.

Had I chosen the right birth team for my birth based off intuition, regardless of how the actual labor and birth would have transpired would I still have felt birth trauma? That is a question that will never be able to be answered but there's a possibility I could have still experienced birth trauma just from being an anxious and sensitive mom I could have very well still perceived my second birth as traumatic.

BIRTH TRAUMA IS NOT A ONE SIZE FITS ALL

Nevertheless, I think that when we're talking about the topic of birth trauma it is so vital to address all these topics because birth trauma is not a one size fits all, [which is something we talk about often in the birth community that birth is not a one size fits all and both teams are not a one size fits all and neither is birth trauma.] While obstetric violence very well contributes to a great portion of the one in three women that have reported having trauma during birth, (and that's just the people who have reported it because they are aware of it), there are so many other aspects that are responsible for causing birth trauma within an individual and so it is my belief that birth trauma should not be grouped under the same umbrella as in caused predominantly by obstetric violence.

WHAT DO WE DO?

I think that birth trauma is a very important topic to discuss in our nation so that we can start working on ways of confronting it so that birthing women can be more equipped with proper tools of making better, more educated personal choices based off their knowledge and intuition, so that they can have the best odds in avoiding bad birth trauma.

However, I think that there's also the danger of grouping birth trauma under obstetric violence because we're avoiding the fact there’s many other key players in birth who could very well replace obstetric violence as the main reason that caused birth trauma for moms. We are avoiding that home birth midwives and certified nurse midwives and labor and delivery nurses and doulas and partners and spouses and family members and friends and babies and baby positions and umbilical cords and uteruses and perineums can all very well contribute to the cause of birth trauma.

HOW ABOUT EMOTIONS, ANXIETY, SPIRITUALITY, PSYCHOLOGY AND BIRTH TRAUMA???

Is birth ONLY physical?

Let's stop pretending as a country that emotions, spirituality, psychology have nothing to do with the birthing process.

We need to bring up the difference in the birth community between anxiety, fear, emotions, spirituality, psychology vs. the physical and medical.

A woman who walks in to birth completely equipped with all the tools for birthing, has given birthed multiple times, does prenatal acupuncture and chiropractic care and has the fullest confidence in her most amazing birth team can suffer equally from Birth Trauma because her body or her baby did something completely unexpected.

Equally can a woman who planned to give birth to her first baby with an OB/GYN who isn't warm and friendly and told her that she needs to have a scheduled induction with zero medical inclination.

I'm going to wrap this blog up but I don't want to leave future and current pregnant moms hanging wondering well how can I make sure I avoid Birth Trauma with my upcoming birth.

So here are my personal recommendations for a great place to start:

1. Listen to your intuition, I cannot emphasize this enough. If you are with a provider or birthing facility such as a hospital or a birth center or with a birthing support person such as a Doula, if someone in your birth team does not feel like a good fit for you, if you are doubting their recommendations, if their behavior towards you does not feel enriching and supportive, the first thing you can do is listen to your intuition!!! No one can possibly tell you who the right fit for you is going to be better than your own intuition. Things will stand in your way such as distance, accessibility, finances, insurance, availability, it can be difficult to make a change to your birth team. Nevertheless, you are never backed into a corner and you are never without options. No matter how difficult your options are to achieve, there are always options, you should never be forced to stay with a birth team that isn't the right fit for you. Making a choice or a change can make life inconvenient for you and that's where number two comes into play:

2. Use your wisdom! You are a wise birthing woman, even if this is your very first time, even if everybody around you has made you feel like you know nothing, repeat after me: I am a wise birthing woman. Use your wisdom and decide what your priorities are. If your priorities are to have the closest possible provider and facility, while mental health and your experience is not as important to you, then take your power and tell yourself this is my choice to prioritize proximity over experience! Surrender to the fact that your experience may end up being traumatic as a result of your priorities.

3. This leads me to the number three. If you do not know what your options are then you don’t have any options, right? Have you heard that saying? Take the time during your pregnancy to educate yourself on the psychology + physiology of childbirth. Take a hospital childbirth course and a birth center childbirth course and compare how the two make you feel and what information you've been able to extract and assimilate from those courses. Take an alternate childbirth course that has nothing to do with information but taps into the spiritual and emotional (such as hypnobirthing, I personally love the hypnobirthing instructors at the Orchids Nest and at Amazing Births and Beyond). See how that makes you feel and tap into whether you're a more emotional or spiritual woman or both, or perhaps you are neither and you are 100% laser focused on the medical and being safe and healthy. Get to know yourself.

4. Get to know who the highly recommended birth providers in the community are whether obstetricians, certified nurse midwives or home birth midwives. Find out who are the recommended doulas with the most experience, find out what everyone's philosophy of birth is. Interview them, be direct with them, don't feel pressured into making a decision. You always have time. If your baby has not yet been born, then you have time.

   If after reading this post you still feel like you have questions or need more support, I'm always happy to help however I can and to get you in touch with local resources and trusted providers.

All Women Who Birth Are POWERFUL

Yesterday I shared on IG stories about a powerful birth that captivated me. A mama and her husband caught their son on hands and knees in a hospital birth. We were all in pure awe of her as she birthed her baby while we all quietly witnessed - what incredible raw feminine power & full surrender and trust in her body and her baby!

But as I shared this story, I had a lot of other feelings I wanted to share with you, cause often times we all write about how incredible these experiences are, but I see so much more.

How about the mama who didn't go into labor and at 42 weeks was induced, went through a 3 day induction, dilated to 10 centimeters and then birthed her baby by cesarean? MAN what a powerful woman that leaves me in admiration! No matter what pregnancy and birth cast her way, she kept with the path to her child.

And the first time mama who listened to her intuition that told her that her baby needed to be born via belly, but no one else trusted the mama the way she trusted herself, and when she went into labor, her baby was soooo breech that they did deliver her baby via her belly after all. What an incredible woman who was wise and intuitive and knew exactly what her first child needed, I am in such awe of her!

And the mamas who catch their babies all on their own at home, where their home birth midwife isn't in any of my pictures because mom and dad caught their baby. How beautiful and intuitive they knew their baby needed to be born at home into his parent's arms. I was so captivated by these parents.

Often times we go online and we boast about the magical unicorn births, but we forget, that they are all magical unicorn births. There is no failure in birth. There is no such thing as "failure to progress" because some babies know better than ALL of us, their mama didn't fail to progress, baby's plan was a belly birth the whole time. Those births too are magical unicorn births. Those mothers too, leave me in awe of their courage and their purest of love for their babies, that kind of love is born the moment a woman is reborn as a mother.

#southfloridabirthphotographer

South Florida Home Birth Video with Midwife Michelle Cerami - East Coast Midwifery

South Florida Home Birth Video with Midwife Michelle Cerami East Coast Midwifery and Doula Irina of Monkey Mind Wellness Paulina Splechta Birth Photography a...

Sometimes the universe calls to you to serve.

When I heard the calling, I did not run away.

𝘽𝙞𝙧𝙩𝙝 𝙥𝙝𝙤𝙩𝙤𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙝𝙮 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙥𝙝𝙤𝙩𝙤𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙝𝙮 𝙞𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠.

It is birth work.

The camera, the digital files, they are all merely the medium used in a storytelling that 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙨 lives.

When you choose a birth story with a birth worker who's medium is photography but their profession is to serve.... you are choosing someone who is a trusted & spiritual member of your and your baby's birth team.

This person is 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙮 woven into your life forever.

A deep and humble thank you to my client Shena (also a birth worker herself) who trusted me with all her heart to capture the storytelling of this powerful journey to Nash.

Tremendous gratitude to her incredible birth team:

Midwife Michelle Cerami of East Coast Midwifery and Doula Irina Shlain of Monkey Mind Wellness for trusting me to be an intimate member of their mamas birth teams.

#southfloridabirthphotographer
#homebirth
#homebirthmidwife
#midwifery

IBCLC the new standard of care for Breastfeeding Moms

𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗜𝗕𝗖𝗟𝗖 𝗗𝗮𝘆! 🤱🤱🏻🤱🏼🤱🏽🤱🏾🤱🏿

This day is to honor how IBCLCs transform world health by providing skilled lactation care.

Pictured above is midwife Sandy @mymomglow also an IBCLC

What is an IBCLC?

@who The World Health Organization reports “that mothers require active support for establishing and sustaining breastfeeding.” Whether breastfeeding comes easily for you or not, having a strong support system is absolutely key to helping you meet your nursing goals.

While your partner, family and mom friends are there to cheer you on and pick you up when you’re feeling discouraged, no one is better prepared to help you with breastfeeding than an IBCLC, or International Board Certified Lactation Consultant.

What does an IBCLC do?

IBCLCs are certified healthcare professionals trained in the clinical management of breastfeeding—AKA breastfeeding experts. Plus, they are internationally recognized. IBCLCs are certified by the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners (IBLCE).

In the words of Midwife Sandy (pictured): IBCLCs are important because they help, support and honor new parents journeys in breastfeeding.

Having an IBCLC has proven to improve breastfeeding outcomes and duration. They are trained professionals who are skilled in dealing with normal routine scenarios to complex high risk situations

Who needs an IBCLC?

EVERYONE, seriously. An IBCLC should be a key member of your and your baby's birth team, and a 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬 & consultation with Midwife Sandy @mymomglow should be commonplace. This is the new standard of care, moms.

Breastfeeding doesn’t always come easy or naturally as we would hope. Raising my hand over here as a veteran mama who breastfed my first for years & years (& years & years) but completely dried up only 2 months after my second. HOW I WISH I KNEW SANDY THEN. An IBCLC understands that breastfeeding isn't always easy and can address breastfeeding issues you have along the way, upon completing an assessment of you and your little one.

How to Get in Touch with Midwife Sandy, IBCLC?

9:00 AM to 6:00 PM (305) 600-8109

You can schedule a consultation with Midwife Sandy, IBCLC Contact her directly at @mymomglow

You can follow Midwife Sandy Lobaina, LM, IBCLC on Instagram here: INSTAGRAM

On Facebook here: FACEBOOK

And be sure to visit her website for more information and to schedule a consultation or sign up for her breastfeeding education class here: WEBSITE

You can also contact Midwife Sandy directly via email: mymomglow@gmail.com

#ibclc

#breastfeedingmama

Pregnancy, Fertility, Birth and Post Partum Therapy

Dr. KC is a whole vibe 🤩🤩🤩

MOTHERHOOD is freaking hard y'all. When we admit to ourselves we need support, we nourish ourselves in a way no one else can. WE ARE THE FIRST STEP to self care.

Dr. KC's words & energy resonated with me so much that I couldn't just 'follow' her, I had to go meet her.

KC Charette left me feeling SEEN.

My mind and my intuition wasn't wandering about... worrying if she's judging me for being anxious or thinking I'm high maintenance, or the million other thoughts I sometimes have, were all quieted in her gentle space.

Just as with OB/GYN, Midwife, Doula... you can't just hire ANYONE. You need to meet many, interview many, listen to your gut instincts. You are your own first step to self-care mamas.

A few amazing facts I learned about Dr. KC Charette today

1️⃣ Most of the time, the majority of people who notice mamas need extra support first are PEDIATRICIANS.

They are the one person most mamas see the most after they have their babies. (IMO it should be your pregnancy/birth care provider, but more thoughts on that another post)

It is crucial to be with the RIGHT PEDIATRICIAN who can be intuitive and awake enough to recognize post partum anxiety, post partum ocd so they can guide you to support

2️⃣ Dr. KC Charette's wants to help her patients know that they are not alone and they can build a team of providers.

3️⃣ Most mamas start care with Dr. KC IN PREGNANCY.

💥💥 GENIUS!!! 💥💥 I'm thinking, through her support, identify everything during pregnancy, so you don't go down a rabbit hole to birth trauma without the proper prenatal support that helps you find your own voice, months before you get there. Early work is key! Start IN pregnancy! (But don't worry if you didn't you can still start now!)

4️⃣ Half of Dr. KC's practice is infertility, difficulties during pregnancy, post partum difficulties, early parenting

☝️ Self care isn't only about taking an uninterrupted shower, or a girl's night out. It can be, but the difficulties deep within are our foundation for our days. Let's nurture our inner most difficulties so our day to day can be healing & nourishing.

How to Get in Touch with Dr. KC?

(561) 617-3323

7700 W. Camino Real, Suite 402 Boca Raton, FL 33433

officemanager@kccharette.com

You can follow Dr. KC Charette on Instagram Here: INSTAGRAM

On Facebook Here: FACEBOOK

And be sure to visit her website for more info on Dr. KC, pregnancy, infertility, birth, post partum and early parenting here: WEBSITE

Super Important Footnote!!

Video and phone tele-therapy available and​ Same-day appointments may be available!

Today is MARS DAY [Perseverance rover landing on Mars]

Today is MARS DAY [the red 🔴 planet]

Today the Perseverance rover will attempt to touch down in one piece on The Red Planet with a mission to find preserved signs of life from several billion years ago, if life ever did arise on Mars. But first, NASA’s mission has to land in one piece. Touchdown is expected around 3:55 p.m. Eastern time. I have positive vibes about the Perseverance rover 🙏🏻🙌🏻 you got this @nasa !

Your girl is a huge outer space enthusiast, so in honor of this mission to the RED PLANET I went through my births from the years and chose 10 of my favorite “RED” birth images. I’m not very known for red, my intuition and path is in blue, this you’ll see a ton of blue in my past work, but perhaps the future will be a little red focused 🔴🔴🔴♥️♥️♥️
Can you spot the red in each image?

#southfloridabirthphotographer
#southfloridaphotographer
#southfloridamoms
#southfloridamaternityphotographer
#southfloridanewbornphotographer

Is Having a Birth Photographer at your birth ok?

Is Having a Birth Photographer at your birth ok?

Socially acceptable?

Invasive?

Less Intimate?

I often hear from couples who did not hire me that either mama or her husband/partner was worried about a photographer making their birth space feel less intimate & make it feel exposed.

This is a natural fear, because our society already impregnated us all with so many fears surrounding childbirth. We are afraid what if something terrible happens? What if I CAN'T do this? What if there is an emergency? The fears are totally endless.

And I get it 1,000%

HENCE, AFFIRMATIONS

During my second pregnancy, I came up with the idea of writing down all my fears and then creating a 2nd list, where I wrote the OPPOSITE of those fears in positive form, taping up those affirmations all over my home to read & believe during my pregnancy. When I started this project, I thought I'd have a list of maybe 5 or 6 things.

Well, I ended up having PAGES.

Around 30, 35 FREAKING FEARS y'all that I had in my pregnancy.

THAT is what society did to me. Did it do this to you too?

Society made me BELIEVE I would never succeed in birth, rather fail so hard I'd endanger myself and my baby in 35 ways.

2 years ago, I found out that my maternal grandmother (my mom's mother) gave birth (unintentionally) unassisted at home to twins (my mom being one of them). [the midwife simply did not make it in time, and yet here I was believing I'd fail myself, my husband and older daughter and my baby in 30, 35 ways because of society

So when couples do not believe a photographer will add to their safety, comfort, support and most of all INTIMACY of their birth, they are probably thinking of the wrong type of photographer.

You see, while photographs is what I capture with my camera, from the moment I stepped foot into my very first birth almost 150 births ago, almost 7 years ago, I have NEVER considered myself a photographer.

I have always been and forever will be a birth worker, who above all things, upholds the intimacy & sacredness within a very private and empowered birthing space.

So here is a photograph of my oldest daughter and I holding the sign "SAFE" because when you are in my hands, my dears, you are safer than you've ever been. From my heart to yours, Paulina

#notjustaphotographer

#birthworker

2021 IAPBP Birth Photographers Image Competition Results Are Out!

Huge Congratulations to Birth Photographer Ashley Marston of Ashley Marston Photography for placing First Place with the image “Daddy’s Girls” in this year’s 2021 IAPBP Birth Photography Image Competition!!!

You can follow Ashley on IG here: Ashley’s IG Account

Congrats Ashley!!!

Image Competition Results Are Out!

THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF PROFESSIONAL BIRTH PHOTOGRAPHERS

Have you seen this year’s birth photography image competition winners?

You can view 2021 Image Competition Results here:

VIEW 2021 BIRTH PHOTOGRAPHY IMAGE COMPETITION RESULTS

I am excited seeing many of the images I voted for during the Members Choice voting where we as members of IAPBP had the opportunity to vote for our peers image submissions.

I am dying to dive in and share with you who I voted for during Member’s Choice because I am so thrilled to see they made it to the very end of the competition but first a few words for my amazing colleagues who entered:

2020 was such a rough year for many people in many ways. I am so proud that we did not give up among the difficulties we faced. Many of us barely attended births in 2020. Despite all this, I am so proud that we stuck together as a community.

I am so proud of IAPBP and our members for coming together in our

2021

Theme of Community & Togetherness

In our 2021 Birth Photography image competition, IAPBP rolled out a brand new scoring rubric which is so exciting and we are confident in the final outcome of their judging. The full gallery is absolutely stunning and we are so proud of ALL of your work, especially given the challenges each of you overcame in 2020. Thank you for allowing us this opportunity to share your talent with the world!

A few statistics for the 2021 IAPBP Birth Photography Image Competition:

• We had 371 images from 124 people in 14 different countries

• Only 64 images were taken in 2019 (we were expecting a 50/50 split so this is amazing!)

• More than 2500 comments were left on the full gallery of images with every single image receiving at least one piece of feedback (with some up to 15)! (This is an amazing reason to join IAPBP if you are not yet a member!)

• Our community has existed for more than 11 years and started as a small online forum of birth photographers wanting to pave the way for this industry. Look how far we have come!

This is all incredible when you think about how much of an effect the pandemic had on our industry. We are celebrating another successful year of our annual image competition!

View the results here: https://birthphotographers.com/2021-birth-photography.../

I want to take a minute to thank my client, chiropractor Dr. Mya Orta and her husband along with their midwives Sandra Lobaina and Gelena Hinkley of Natural Birthworks Birth Center in Margate, FL for welcoming me and inviting me into their birth space. Without your trust and appreciation for my integrity and commitment to the birth work that I do, it would have not been possible for me to enter this image into the 2021 IAPBP Birth Photography Image Competition and proudly be awarded Honorable Mention of 2021.

Images I voted for in the 2021 IAPBP Birth Photographer Image Competition

Members Choice Awards

BEST IN BIRTH DETAILS

Charlene Foertser of Charlene Foerster Fotografie

“The Origin Of Life”

Germany

You can follow Charlene on Instagram: Charlene’s Instagram Page

2021 IAPBP Birth Photography Image Competition - Charlene Foertser - Best in Birth Details “The Origin of Life” Germany - International Association of Professional Birth Photographers

BEST IN POSTPARTUM

Hanna Hill of Hanna Hill Photography

"My Body, My Birth"

United States

You can follow Hanna on Instagram: Hanna’s Instagram Page

2021 IAPBP Birth Photography Image Competition - Hanna Hill - Best in Postpartum “My Body, My Birth” United States - International Association of Professional Birth Photographers

HONORABLE MENTION

Ashley Marston of Ashley Marston Photography

"Home Birth in a Pandemic"

Canada

I didn’t get to vote for this image by Ashley Marston because we were limited on how many votes we could submit per image on the Members Choice but this was a huge favorite of mine

2021 IAPBP Birth Photography Image Competition - Ashley Marston - Honorable Mention “Home Birth in a Pandemic” Canada - International Association of Professional Birth Photographers

Dana Jacobs of Dana Jacobs Photography

"Of All Our Travels, This Journey Will Be Our Greatest"

United States

You can follow Dana on Instagram: Dana’s Instagram Page

2021 IAPBP Birth Photography Image Competition - Dana Jacobs - Honorable Mention “Of All Our Travels, This Journey Will Be Our Greatest” United States - International Association of Professional Birth Photographers

HONORABLE MENTION

Kandyce Wagar of Songbird and Oak Photography

"This Moment 2020"

Canada

You can follow Kandyce on Instagram: Kandyce’s Instagram Page

2021 IAPBP Birth Photography Image Competition - Kandyce Wagar - Honorable Mention “This Moment 2020” Canada - International Association of Professional Birth Photographers

Congratulations to ALL the entrants of the 2021 IAPBP Birth Photography Image Competition! I am proud of each and everyone of you! There were so many entries that are not in this blog post that I cannot wait to recognize!

I will be spending the next week reaching out to you all, as when I saw many of your images during the image competition during Member’s Choice, I kept thinking dang I wish I knew who the artist was, this is SO GOOD! I am so proud to be a member of IAPBP alongside of each of you.

I look forward to getting to know each and everyone of you better of this new 2021 year!