Hello Friends! I’m so glad you’re here! 🙂
What an experience it was to be there to witness Home Birthing Goddess Andrea bring this adorable little man into this world! Thank you Andrea for having me there during such a private experience! Also, a big thanks to the midwives who were so very amazing in making sure my first home birth photography experience turned out more fabulous than I could have even dreamed!!
A little history about my experience with childbirth before I begin. 😉 I have not personally experienced birthing a child thus far in my life. I have, however, witnessed many hospital births in my 34 years! Most of them happened before I became a professional photographer, but I did photograph/video a few of the births I’ve witnessed…but only as an amateur photographer with a point & shoot camera on auto!
This Home Birth was quite a special treat! I always heard how amazing and relaxing it was to have a home birth, but experiencing the energy of just being there was even more amazing than any story and/or video I’ve heard/watched! One of the midwives described Andrea as a home birthing goddess, but I think that might be an understatement! The AMAZING midwives Kathy Divine and Monica Basile from Mother and Child Midwifery made the whole experience so calming and relaxing!! They sure do have an AMAAAZING energy about themselves that they bring to the Home Birth Experience! Not to mention their knowledge of nursing, midwifery, etc. that they brought to the magical birthing experience!! Be sure to check out their work…they are truly amazing souls!!
I’ve been blessed to know Andrea for many many years! She’s one of my favorite souls on the planet and when she’s not busy being an AMAZING Mama, she is often my wedding photography assistant! She asked me to be present and photograph their home birth a few weeks prior to her due date when I happened to go over to give her a massage. To say I was excited is definitely an understatement!
Andrea text me about a week before she delivered Miles and said she thought she might be in labor. I happily showed up at the house and got to meet Kathy and Monica for the first time! She didn’t end up going into labor for another week, but I took the photo below during her ‘false alarm’ and I loved it so much that I had to include it here!
On the evening of April 20th I got a text saying tonight was the night! I was SOOO EXCITED! I took a photo of the clock shortly after I got there…
Andrea was breathing thru her contractions like the birthing goddess she is! Andrea was tracking her contractions on an ipad. Andrea had a beautiful daughter, Reese also at home almost two years ago and still has the record of her contractions and progress from her beautiful daughter’s birth!
Andrea showed me the nursery they had all ready for Miles. How adorable is the solar system mobile!?!? She stopped the nursery tour to have another contraction which made for an adorable photo opp!
Andrea had a big mug of ice/water that happened to say ‘Big Slugger’. I found it quite fitting…and after finding out he was a big boy at 9 lbs 8 oz, it was even more fitting! Note the baby monitor sitting behind the Big Slugger. Andrea’s beautiful 2 year old daughter Reese was sleeping in the room next to the room she gave birth in! Reese didn’t wake up at all…due to the fact that Andrea has a really high pain tolerance and/or practiced her mediation A LOT before the beautiful home water birth!
The midwives got to the house and were getting things ready all the while talking to the birthing goddess about her progress.
Contractions were getting more intense, but one would not have known! Andrea truly is a birthing goddess…a strong woman!!
The amazing midwives and I visited while Bart was keeping track of Andrea’s contractions in the other room.
Contractions getting stronger!
Kathy helping Andrea thru her strong contractions.
Monica doing some energy work and whatever other magic was happening here!
The midwives got everything set up very quickly when Andrea said she was ready to get in the bathtub.
Almost ready to meet the ‘big slugger’ himself, Mr. Miles!
Andrea actually appeared to be a bit uncomfortable during these contractions. She is truly a rockstar birthing goddess!!
And she managed to laugh between contractions…truly a goddess!!
Andrea was only in the tub for approx 12 minutes before birthing beautiful baby Miles! This was taken shortly before she started pushing. I’m sure it seemed like hours to her, but it was so fast to me!! I had watched many home birth videos to prepare for my first home birth photography experience and I was expecting a lot more time and other home birthing mothers seemed to be so miserable. Andrea barely made any noise due to pain…I would have been screaming my head off! 😉
At 1:22 AM Miles John joined this world! She was in such bliss one wouldn’t have known the pain she had just gone thru to push the little guy out!
This is one of my favorite shots…Andrea checking out his feet for the first time! SO LOVE THIS MOMENT!!
I’ve never seen Andrea so excited…other than when I happened to be at her home when she got her first DSLR camera in the mail as a surprise for her birthday many years ago!! 🙂
Kathy and Monica checking him out…SO MANY MAGICAL MOMENTS!!
Here we find out the ‘Big Slugger’ cup wasn’t just a silly thought! Miles weighed 9 lbs. 8 ounces!!! Big Slugger Miles!!
First time he was out of Mama’s hands…Monica and Kathy checked him out and made sure everything was great! Of course he is PERFECT and passed all their tests with flying colors!! He actually cried a bit when he was getting all checked out! He had been fairly quiet with a few cries here and there until this point.
Back in Mommy’s arms…Miles seems to be grinning already?! LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS!!
Too cute for words…too magical for the mind to wrap around. Love Love Love
And the happy birthing clan!! SO AMAZING to have been there with these amazing souls!!
A few more things to talk to the birthing goddess about before these two amazing midwives left for the night. TRULY MAGICAL…EVERY SINGLE MOMENT OF THIS EXPERIENCE!!
I cannot thank all of these beautiful souls enough for allowing me to be there during such a beautiful event in their lives! Thank you Andrea for being so AMAZING and to the beautiful midwives for reminding me to stay calm and photograph on! 😉
Thanks so much for taking your time to read this, friends! I wish I could post the videos I took, too…but I will figure out how to do all of that another day! 😉 I am just grateful for the experience and for the beautiful birthing goddess being open to me sharing these images on my blog!
*BIG Hugs to you ALL*
~KaYLyN