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A Henderson Hospital Birth

What an honor it has been to document the birth of Silas James. It was the first Henderson Hospital birth I was able to document.

I know I have said it before, but by the time I document these beautiful birth stories I have become so invested in the story that is so unique to each birth. After being a labor and delivery nurse here for the past 19 years (I retired this past March).

I have firsthand knowledge of the fact that each is so different and unique, even within the same families. Right up until the end of my career there were so many births that moved me deeply, and often brought tears to my eyes. As a birth photographer, I feel this even more intently. I think it is because of the totally different role in seeing birth through the eyes of a storyteller. I do my best to see the story in each birth, even in the smallest of moments, because that is often where they live. Although I do miss patient care, I feel deep in my soul that documenting them is exactly where I am supposed to be in this season of my life. It is a privilege I don’t take lightly!

I literally cried every single time I worked on their birth film because I had some first-hand knowledge of how hard they worked to hold this little man in their arms, and the emotions that led up to this moment.

This beautiful family found me while searching for a birth photographer in Las Vegas. Sarah requested a phone consultation early on, and through our conversation about their vision and wishes, I knew that it would be an incredible story. She is a nurse, so right away, we had that connection, and she shared with me early on that Ben is a photojournalist. Of course, I looked him up right away and was blown away by his work, and terrified at the same time! (I always feel more pressure when another photographer or filmmaker hires me). It is a big deal for another artist will turn over their moments to someone else, trusting that they don’t have to worry about what I am doing, and can truly live in the moment. Ben did it so graciously and truly did live in their space.

We talked in the weeks leading up to their birth, as I do with all my birth clients. I check in often to see how things are going and how they are feeling, especially once I start the ‘call’ period for births at 37-38 weeks. Sarah and Ben had a birth plan and a vision for what they wanted in their care and birth; a low intervention and unmedicated birth was their preference, but they were also flexible in knowing that things don’t always unfold as planned.

As her due date came and went, those fears that it wasn’t going to unfold as they had planned began to creep in, but she continued to advocate for the birth she wanted and followed her OB and high-risk to be sure everything was looking perfect. Once she was over a week past their due date, talk of induction began, and as her fluid levels dropped and her baby experienced a period of decreased fetal movement, the moment had come to go in and begin the induction period. We agreed to have me capture some of the early moments and return when active labor began.

First of all, let’s talk about how beautiful Sarah is. She is truly a stunning woman; I was excited about photographing her. They both are. I mean, how could they not make an adorable baby?

Because we knew the induction would be long, I captured some of those first moments they would want to remember as they checked in and got settled. Sarah was able to wear her own comfortable clothing, which was great, and the wireless monitoring available at Henderson Hospital really gave her the freedom to move about and stay somewhat comfortable.

Right after I had packed up and was ready to head out for a few hours of sleep and to give Sarah and Ben some space and rest before active labor began, little Silas had his first episode of distress. Her nurses were so great and were right on top of caring for her and her baby and worked hard to keep everyone comfortable while performing interventions.

They also knew they wanted both of their parents present for their birth. Ben’s mom was able to spend time with them in the week before delivery, waiting for Silas to arrive, and Sarah’s mom hopped on a plane as soon as she knew that the time had come. Their presence and love in their birth space really were so beautiful to observe. You could feel the anticipation and excitement throughout.

Within a few hours of starting the induction process, Sarah’s contractions had come on both intensely and frequently, with little break between. I got the call in the early morning hours that she had progressed quickly to 7 cms, so I jumped in the car and headed back while Sarah waited for her epidural.

Sarah received an epidural and never got comfortable enough to settle into some rest. Her husband and the mothers both took turns being at her side and comforting her, and I stepped out of the room for a couple of hours with the grandmas to really give them time alone to rest. The lack of sleep and pain was beginning to wear on both.

In the morning, Sarah’s doctor came in to evaluate their progress and discuss their care plan. Sarah had made no cervical change in hours and still had not rested or become comfortable. Her baby continued to have periods of distress but was quickly resolving at this point. They talked about options and he then stepped away to give Sarah and Ben time alone to make some decisions.

After talking and making some tough decisions, they both decided it was time to allow for a cesarean section. They were both exhausted, Sarah was still in pain, and Silas had periods of distress. Again, I stepped away to give them the space to work through all those emotions.

Photographers are not always allowed in the operating room for cesarean sections, with permission granted by anesthesia and the primary surgeon and guided by hospital policies. I do my best to be allowed into the operating room for births but I am always understanding and ready for permission not to be granted. Luckily, Sarah’s nurse and OB had advocated for me, and I was granted permission by anesthesia.

What I love is focusing on capturing the details that mom might not be seeing during labor and delivery so that she can see those moments she might not otherwise. Those moments between Ben and Silas at the warmer were just so moving.

Of course, back in the room family was waiting and anxious to meet little Silas.

Everyone then stepped out to give Sarah and Ben time alone with their baby and each other. These are always the most tender moments to observe.

I returned the next day to document a Fresh 48 session and little Sila’s first bath by mom and dad. There still had been zero sleep going on days now, but Sarah still looked so great and had already been up out of bed, was moving around well, and was anxious to get home.

A Summerlin Hospital Cesarean Delivery

This beautiful couple came to me through a referral from a local photographer that I adore. She has been photographing them for years, and because she doesn’t specialize in birth or Fresh 48 sessions, sent them my way for this portion of their journey. I have been blessed by this Jamie Rubeis over and over in my photography career, and I am so thankful for her in an industry that can oftentimes feel so competitive and lonely.

Shana and Adam are both incredibly talented and beautiful individuals on their own, and together as a couple is just incredible. I had seen Emily through Jamie’s work and have always admired her beauty. Shana is a well-known vlogger and thrifter and stars in AMC’s Storage Wars, and Adam is the owner and president of Black Raven films.

I like to meet my birth and Fresh 48 clients in person before their delivery date. Birth is a personal and intimate genre, and meeting in person and talking about a family’s fears, concerns, wishes, and thoughts ahead of time makes a delivery day or Fresh 48 sessions feel so much more comfortable and relaxed. This particular period is so charged with emotion, and a million different decisions are thrown your way during the hours and days surrounding birth. I try to know what clients wish for ahead of time rather than bombard them with a million questions then!

With Adam and Shana both being in the industry, and especially Adam being an incredibly talented filmmaker, they just weren’t sure they would feel comfortable turning the birth to someone else. So, we decided on a Fresh 48 with an emphasis on the moments immediately following birth. The plan was to come to the hospital when Shana was close to delivery and come into the room immediately following birth to capture skin-to-skin, meeting the baby, weights, measurements, etc. and then come back the next day to capture some more of that classic Fresh 48 session after everyone was showered and rested.

After 19 years as a labor and delivery nurse, I have learned that labor is completely unpredictable and that no two laborers are the same. On the day of their induction, I contacted them via text, and they were so great in sending me regular updates. As the hours dragged by and things weren’t really progressing as planned, I could hear the exhaustion and frustration set in and finally just asked if I could come up a little earlier than planned. As I stepped into the room to let them know I had arrived before heading to the waiting room as we had planned, Adam approached me and verbalized that they both wanted me to document it all start then. Of course, I was so excited that they had come to this decision and were willing to let me into their birth space earlier than planned.

Within 30 minutes of my arriving at the hospital the decision was made for a cesarean section, so I was so glad I came when I did!

Photographers are not routinely allowed into the OR, and it is totally dependent on many variables from patient circumstances, OB/GYN, anesthesiologist, and hospital policies. I respectfully try my hardest to be allowed into the OR with families whenever possible, and because of my history with their OB, anesthesiologist, and the facility they delivered in, I was allowed into their delivery and was able to document it all!

Being in the operating room can be such a scary experience for parents, especially when things haven’t gone as planned. There is such a roller coaster of emotions and I love that they were willing to let me document it all.

Once he was here, it was easy to see why he wouldn’t come down. He was huge! 9lbs 2 oz of adorable squish! He was so alert, and capturing those first looks and skin-to-skin was so special.

I did come back the next day for a traditional Fresh 48. Shana and Adam still wanted to capture that truly fresh feeling in their fresh 48 sessions and just over 12 hours post-op, Shana managed to get out of bed and look as incredible as she did. I was so impressed! For those of you that have had a cesarean section, you know that it is no easy task!