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A Las Vegas Family-Centered Birth

August has been my busiest birth month to date. I took on more birth clients this month than I ever had because each was so unique and special ( I still have one more to go at this point).

I limit the number of births I take a month to ensure that I am available when you go into labor, no matter the time of day. I don’t book much of anything else while on call for birth for the same reason.

Sarah Beth is a local photographer and dear friend. She is an extremely talented newborn and birth photographer (in fact, we are each other’s birth backups!); you need to check out her work! Sarah Beth Chamberlain Photography.

I was so honored when she reached out to me early in her pregnancy to book me! She knew early on what type of birth she wanted and where to deliver, and she worked hard to make it all come true. They are a military family and had delivered in two different states with their two older children and two different types of facilities with two entirely different experiences. Their oldest son was born in a hospital setting, and their second child was in a birth center. She found her second birth more in line with her wishes and really felt that if things were progressing normally in her pregnancy, and if she was not high risk then a home birth is what she really longed for. We spent time talking about her hopes and dreams for this birth, and she decorated her birth space just as she wanted.

She had gone early with her previous two deliveries and experienced preterm contractions for months leading up to her birth. She just wanted to make it to the 37-week mark to feel confident delivering at home. She went right at the 37-week mark! Sarah had an appointment with her midwife April Clyde of Serenity Birth Center on the day she went into labor things were looking great, but she just really had the intuition that it was going to happen soon. Her adorable son was especially eager to meet his baby brother and told the midwife that it would happen that night.

There is no better way to share their birth story than in Sarah Beth’s own words!

Everett aired his wishes for his little brother to be born all day on Tuesday. A number of times, including at our 37-week prenatal appointment that morning, he brought up the fact that it was a full moon and a lunar eclipse. He’d heard that lots of mommas go into labor under a full moon, and he was eager to get the party started.

That night we did our usual evening stretches, walking, and spinning babies exercises to try and encourage Waylon to turn out of his posterior position. At around 9:30PM I started having frequent but light contractions. After having rounds of prodromal labor since week 32 of this pregnancy, and that being the norm for all of my pregnancies, I didn’t really put too much hope into this being the start of labor. However, I phoned the midwives and our birth photographer anyway just to give them a heads up. Josh and I went to bed. Either way, we needed rest.

At 1:50 AM, Evangeline came into our room. It had been months since she woke up in the middle of the night, but she was at my bedside, wanting some cuddles. I told her to wait just a moment so I could go potty, and then we could snuggle. After emptying my bladder, it became obvious that my water had broken. I woke Josh and returned to the bathroom. When he rose and came to check on me a few minutes later, I needed a whole stack of towels for clean up. Somehow, I think Evangeline awoke because she sensed something stirring. I probably would have slept for another hour at least.

After calling our birth team to let them know things were happening, contractions began to pick up pretty rapidly. Evangeline was eager to wake up Everett, but we managed to keep her from doing so for about an hour. I had woken up quite hungry from the contractions doing work while I slept, so Josh brought me snacks. Strawberries, blueberries, and corn chips. I’d regret the corn chips later, but I needed the energy. I sat on the birth ball, leaned on the wall with Josh applying back pressure, and couldn’t decide whether the tub or the toilet felt like a better place to hang out. Sarah, one of our midwives, arrived and checked for dilation. I was just 3 cms, so we had some work to do. I tried to stay out of the tub as much as I could, although it offered some relief to those powerful contractions that come after the cushion of a bag of waters has been emptied. I walked the hallway, rocked some more, and did whatever I needed to do to tell my body to get things moving. Sure enough, gravity and good labor positions eventfully led to some signs of transition. We sent for Sarah and April.

This stage felt nothing like either of our first two babies because this baby was not quite in the same position. He’d been posterior for weeks, and although he’d started to turn, it felt like he wasn’t nestled in quite the same. Nevertheless, I felt hot and nauseous, and I knew this meant that the tide was shifting toward delivery. I got in the tub and had Josh apply back pressure. A few contractions in, the nausea took over and up came those tortilla chips. With that heave however, I felt Waylon shove firmly down into my pelvis. That was the nudge we needed. Josh continued to squeeze into my back while I labored in the tub, waiting for the urge to push. Sarah wafted peppermint at me to ease the nausea. I was exhausted, and dozing off for a second or two between contractions. It seemed like it took so long, and when I felt that first pushing wave begin I cried out “yes”. I was so ready get this done and hold my baby.

With each wave of pushing contractions, I tried to squeeze in two to three pushes. Josh squeezed hard on my back to offer relief. After the first three waves, I was thinking okay, where’s my baby. Two to three pushes was all it took for big brother and sister. Waylon seemed so much harder to squeeze through, and he was descending slower. I needed to feel progress, so I reached down after each surge to feel for him, measuring his position in knuckles. At one point we made backwards progress, but it only made me fight harder. With the next wave I began to roar with each push. I heard Josh chuckle from behind me. This “beast mode” was new to him too, and amusing. I had to admit to myself it kind of was. Finally, Waylon was crowning. I reached down to feel his little head and was surprised to feel fingers. He had surfaced with a forward presenting arm. As I played with his fingers, waiting for one final wave of pushes, he grasped my finger. Sarah unwrapped his cord from around his neck. One final push, and he was out. I brought him up to my chest and snuggled him up. He had a perfectly round little face and was completely peaceful. As we rubbed his little back and stimulated him to get him to use his lungs, he finally let out a little cry. I could see he had a complete tongue tie like his brother. We also discovered that he had a knot in his cord, which was neat to see.

After some snuggles in the tub, Everett cut the cord, and we got out to warm up in our cozy bed. Waylon had his newborn exam, weighing in at 7lbs, 12 ounces, and 21 inches. He had his tongue tie clipped, and he latched right away when he was brought back to me. Such a relief to have him nursing easily. He’s been a pretty awesome feeder since. Everyone in the family is just smitten with him.

This was the most tender home birth I have seen; Sarah Beth was surrounded by and loved on by her family her entire labor. You could just feel the anticipation and excitement from big brother and sister and their awe of the whole process.

As soon as I documented those first tender moments with their baby and the newborn exam, I stepped out to give mama her much-needed time with her baby. I generally stay 1-2 hours post-delivery to capture those first moments and skin-to-skin.

I returned the next day for a Fresh 48, which is always fun because I get to continue documenting those first days with your baby. There is nothing like it; everything is so fresh and new and you are just soaking in what you have done and just how much you love this little human that you have created and finally get to hold in your arms. It truly is life’s greatest love story, in my opinion.

The birth story of Rex Robert is beautiful after a loss and is full of emotion, so be prepared.

Throughout my life, I have been so blessed to have met so many incredible human beings, people willing to open their hearts and their stories to me, people that I believe undoubtedly were placed in my life for a reason. This is one of those families.

I documented this family’s maternity session and was so surprised when Brandon was the first to approach me about documenting their birth. I usually have to convince dads that it will be beautiful and they will be so glad they documented this time in their lives.

Our original plan was for maternity and in-home newborn sessions once Rex arrived. After we worked together for their maternity session, they began considering a Fresh 48, and after I had posted a couple of birth images, Brandon messaged me and inquired about birth. I was so over the top excited.

One of the reasons I am so passionate about documenting births is that each is unique and different. It truly is like no other time in our lives. It is intimate, life-changing, and full of story, connection, and many firsts. After 19 years as a labor nurse, I can truly attest to that.

Because of the complications from their previous pregnancy and the subsequent loss of a child, this pregnancy was high risk from the beginning. Their journey to become pregnant with Rex was a long, challenging, and emotional; so, their induction was scheduled in advance. To say there was intense fear and anticipation in the waiting is an understatement.

Their induction was a long one, spanning two days. I was sure to come in and capture some of those first moments and then made my way in and out of their room over the next two days to give them their space and still capture some of the mood and story as it unfolded.

This is the second birth I have documented at Southern Hills Hospital, and they have the most beautiful windows allowing so much beautiful natural and exciting light to flood the rooms. Light makes my heart sing every time, so I was in heaven.

What I love and hope dads love about investing in a birth photographer is that they get to be fully present in their birth space—no worries about running and grabbing the camera to capture a moment or forgetting to capture a moment.

I try and be as unobtrusive and as much of a quiet observer as possible in your birth space; I want to document how it feels in that moment, and to do that well, I have to be able to really blend in and quietly observe.

Dr. Paul Wilkes is truly an incredible soul and a fantastic human being. He is as genuine as they come, and I have had the pleasure of working for him, alongside him, and now documenting him in action.

They had developed such a special relationship, and having him present speaking words of encouragement, hope, and faith in them both was beautiful to watch.

Brandon was so awesome to watch as he bent over and whispered words to his son.

Rex was so alert and interested in everything going on around him. This guy is going to be a deep thinker for sure!

I offered a complimentary Fresh 48 session for my April through August families. Fresh 48 sessions are a great way to introduce siblings and return after everyone is a little rested and settled.

I couldn’t wait to come back and document Poppy meeting her baby brother.

While we waited for dad, big sister, and grandma to arrive, we captured some really beautiful and tender moments of mama and her new baby.

Watch their birth story film to capture just how sweet and tender Poppy meeting her baby brother was. I cried every time I worked on their film.

A Spectrum Inspired Story

I am a local Spectrum-Inspired photographer, meaning I am a part of a group of photographers that offer sessions for families living on the spectrum to raise awareness and education about autism. Please go check them out and the incredible work they are doing worldwide!

But before I get into this beautiful story, I wanted to let you know that I’ve got a special surprise at the end of this post!  I’m taking part in a blog circle with some photographer friends of mine.  We’re linking to each other’s posts, so you can check out what they’re up to.

But, for now, let’s get into this beautiful family story!

I already knew this mama as she is an OB/GYN here in Las Vegas, and in my role as a labor and delivery nurse, I have had the pleasure of working alongside her. Tracy is an incredibly intelligent, kind, compassionate, and talented physician who is well-respected in our community.

A year ago, I had completed a family film for another client I work with, and as Tracy watched it she cried and said she wanted something just like it. She shared that she had never had family portraits officially taken as they just weren’t sure how that would look or unfold with Thomas, and was ready to take the step in having them done. I then shared with her about Spectrum Inspired and their amazing work; she was totally on board! Tracy is so active in the autism community and so passionate about spreading awareness, so the opportunity was perfect!

After submitting an application, we were paired at her request and got to work scheduling her session, where we also added the option of a family film! I am passionate about family films as they show more than a photograph alone can!

You can find their family film here, and be sure to read on to hear their story and see the still portraits we captured during their session.

I have been hanging on to this story for a bit as I wanted to post in April during Autism Awareness month. There are so many powerful, encouraging, and inspiring stories to share. I hope that out of them comes education and awareness as to what the many faces of autism look like and how it is lived out in each family!

Thomas is eight years old, and his diagnosis is- Autism Spectrum Disorder and apraxia.

Thomas was born prematurely due to complications, but his first year progressed well, with Thomas meeting milestones, including walking and interacting with others. By the one-year mark, Tracy began noticing that his words were rare and that he failed to respond to his name being called. As most parents would, she assumed he was just mildly delayed. As the months passed, she began realizing he never reached out to be picked up, and his 20-word vocabulary quickly disappeared. At 18 months, her concerns were addressed with her pediatrician, who agreed with the red flags she had observed and sent them to a developmental pediatrician, where his diagnosis was received. It was an emotionally shattering experience for this family, not because they were afraid of Thomas being “different” but because of the struggles, they knew he would face. It meant he could not share how he was feeling with his family or express his fears or excitement with them.

After their diagnosis, they learned everything they could about autism and apraxia (meaning difficulty in speaking sounds, syllables, and words). Thomas’ biological father, who had been a part of Tracy’s life since high school, became uninvolved and was no longer willing to be in Thomas’ life. Thankfully, his grandparents and her family rallied around her and became a source of strength and support valuable in navigating their struggles as a single-parent family and an OB/GYN resident.

When Thomas was four years old, Tracy met her husband, Justin. Tracy says that the incredible bond between Justin and Thomas began the first time they met and that there was a connection between them right away. This does not come easily for Thomas, as he does not engage or interact with others until he feels comfortable and safe. Justin has become Thomas’ biggest fan and spends every day at therapy with him. Justin adopted Thomas as his son. He doesn’t see Thomas as autistic but as his son, whom he adores and supports. This was so very evident during their session.

When Thomas reached the 5-year mark, his family was told that being non-verbal at his age meant his likelihood of speaking was slim. But they didn’t give up and continued with PT, OT, and speech therapies.

They were completely blown away when Thomas finally spoke his first words a year and a half ago, “I want eggs.” His vocabulary has grown through lots of hard work and gradually over time. He is now able to express himself better with words and small phrases. It has opened up so much for Thomas and his family.

Thomas does not like loud noises and wears his headphones if overstimulated. He also does not enjoy large crowds unless it is people that he knows and trusts.

Photographing and filming their session in a documentary approach was perfect for this family. I was able to come in with no time constraints and focus on being in an environment where Thomas feels safe and secure and where their day-to-day life unfolds. Home is really where your memories are made, after all!

By watching and observing, my goal was to show not just their struggles but also their victories, the ability to overcome obstacles, and the love this family shares with each other.

Through lots of communication and their application with Spectrum Inspired, we could settle on what moments we wanted to capture in sharing their story.

Thomas loves dinosaurs, sharks, Disney movies and characters, and his iPad. It was so great to observe him just being himself! He constantly had his characters and his iPad with him, arranging his characters just so and interacting with his mom, dad, and sister. He is silly and engaged with things that he loves.

Thomas also loves water and the motions of jumping and spinning. Spinning in circles was one of the earliest signs that Tracy noticed with Thomas.

They have a small trampoline he often jumps on to relax and decompress. As soon as they moved to their beautiful home with a large space in the backyard, one of their first additions was a large trampoline for Thomas to jump on.

Little Natalie was also born prematurely, but over a year and a half, she shows no signs of delays or autism.

As we sat and talked during Natalie’s nap and while Thomas had lunch, we talked about difficult textures and sounds for Thomas. Many times children with autism have difficulties with textures in foods and clothing, which limits things they like and can tolerate.

Things like haircuts can be traumatic for children with autism, and she had expressed their challenges with navigating this with Thomas. His haircuts are done by his aunt, whom he trusts, and there is a whole process to it; as the conversation unfolded, we decided it would be perfect for documenting this aspect of his life as well, as he needed a haircut. So with a phone call to his aunt, we arranged it spontaneously, and I am so happy she could come over and was willing to document it! Keeping him still, occupied, and with just the right amount of distraction was a process you could tell had taken lots of time to fine-tune.

We wanted to end our day by capturing family portraits, so as the afternoon set in, we all headed to a beautiful park in their community and let the kids play a bit, and then gathered everyone together for portraits. By this point in our day, I was pretty blown away and so moved by them all.

Their love for each other was evident in everything they did and naturally. I am so grateful that they were willing to trust me in their home and tell their story. I am grateful I saw Thomas’ warm and gentle nature and can’t wait to see what lies in store for him and his family as they continue to navigate life on the Spectrum. I do not doubt that he will continue to grow and learn through the support and love he receives from his family.

As we head into April and autism awareness month, be on the lookout for stories like Thomas’, and into learning about and volunteering for organizations that help spread education and awareness on autism and the many facets and faces of those that live on the wide spectrum.

There are so many incredible stories to be told and so much to be done in educating our communities about autism and life on the spectrum.

Thank you so much to the Wurm-Donofrio family for being willing to share your story with us all!

If you are interested in documenting your story or applying to be a Spectrum Inspired photographer, check out the Spectrum Inspired community and apply!

Now be sure to follow our beautiful blog link to check out the incredible work of a group of 5 very different photographers and the varied stories we have to tell!