Baby J’s golden hour session is one of those sessions I’ll always remember. Baby J was born on the first of July, but his mama reached out to me in February around 20 weeks pregnant. She was interested in both birth photography and family photography following his birth. This was her fourth pregnancy and her prior labors had been quick, so from the get-go we weren’t sure I would make it to the birth itself, but we made our plans and hoped for the best.
She had gone 39 weeks and beyond with her other three babies and typically went into labor around midnight, so I made sure my phone was on full ringer before going to bed at night during those last few weeks. On one night in particular, I woke up around midnight needing to pee (I was pregnant and waking frequently) and I thought to myself, hm she is due any day and it is midnight, I wonder if I’ll be getting a call. Sure enough, when I was walking back to the bed I saw my phone lighting up. It was her husband calling to tell me she was in labor. I had all my clothes laid out already and my bag packed so I quickly got ready and was out the door. I had an hour drive and the whole time I was just hoping the baby would wait.
I got to the birth center and had to be let in. When the midwife walked me to the birthing suite mama L was in, it was quiet. Mama L and dad C were in the bed under the covers so I didn’t know what to think but then L said, “this is the birth photographer for the birth that happened 30 minutes ago.” My heart sank. Her labor was only an hour long. I was devastated that I missed it, but I was still able to capture this sweet baby’s first hours of life and that was pretty special. I used to be a mother/baby nurse and often got to complete the newborn exam myself, but it was a treat to be able to photograph it this time.
I stayed until they left for home, just as the birds were starting to wake up and sing. Then, on my way home the most amazing thing happened, I felt my baby move for the first time. So needless to say, I will never forget the day Baby J was born. I even had the chance to return to their home a few weeks later and see Baby J again and meet his brothers and sister. Those photos will be in an upcoming blog post. Until then, enjoy these pictures from Baby J’s first hours on Earth.
