I find a bit of a crossover happens with me. I can't turn off the doula when I'm documenting and as a doula I see so many moments I can capture for my families. This year I am allowing a few spots for me to act as a doula-tog. What is that? Well I am hired as a doula, but with the understanding that I will take labor/birth pictures as able. I will go on call earlier and I will be available in all the ways a doula is before your birth. I will help you with your birth plan and assist in childbirth prep and postpartum assistance. I also shoot a mini-babymoon session during one of your postpartum visits.
I met with this super sweet couple late into her pregnancy. They had decided they wanted a combo and also a hypo babies-trainded doula. We discussed how I would shoot as much of labor and delivery as possible, but supporting her and her husband were top priority. My sweet client got a terrible cold after she finished a HUGE work project and we hoped she would get better before baby came. Of course baby decided it was time to come and so everything was done to keep things calm and this first time Mama labored quietly in her bed for a day and a half. I went over that morning to check on her and her waves were 10 minutes apart and lasted not quite a minute. We agreed she should keep resting and if this was it, then there would be no stopping it. I made plans to come later that afternoon and see how things were moving. During the day things started progressing, mama was still settled in bed, but the waves went from 8 minutes to 6 minutes and so we knew there would be a baby come morning for sure. Well sometime between 2:30 and 3:30 things began to pick up enough that Mama felt it was time to go. I dropped off my kids and rushed to the hospital to be there as they arrived. As soon as I saw my client I realized she was likely in transition. Little did we know but we would find out she was complete and ready to push!
I know this Mama would not say it was breezy, but really she trusted herself and her body completely and pushed out a sweet little boy in 20 minutes.
Much rejoicing was had and 3 weeks later I shot their baby moon session. I love when new parents have a sense of humor about this crazy thing called parenting and I know these two will easily make it through any tough times with their sense of humor.
As your doula you have access to all my books and videos and 24/7 text-email-phone support. You will receive all your images on USB and previews just like my photography clients. Because my client was complete once she reached the hospital and I felt it was important to be supporting her during check-in rather than snapping a camera, doula part comes first during labor, they are fewer laboring shots, but I'm still delivering a large selection of photos since I stayed a bit longer than usual after the birth.
Enjoy this sweet birth and if you are interested in this hybrid service feel free to contact me.
