the birth of Tiny • Bozeman Birth Photographer

As I write this post I’m sitting here waiting for Tiny (aka Tabitha) to come for her 6 month session.  With the craze of the holiday season I never got a chance to blog her birth.  I wanted to take my time to really tell the story and not just throw some photos online.

I was very excited when Cindy  (Babywearer extraordinaire!) and Josh hired me to photograph the birth of their fourth child.  Josh was not fond of the idea of having an extra person as part of their birth experience.  He just wanted the birth to be them and the mid-wife.  However, after Cindy showed Josh the birth of Morgan she was in tears (birth slide shows can do that to you!) and Josh had agreed realizing how important it was for her to have this amazing moment documented.  Thank you Josh!

I will let Cindy tell her birth story, but I have to say that Josh was the best birth coach and support system I’ve ever seen it was amazing.  Their birth was intimate, emotional, loving and supportive.

Cindy’s birth story:

“Going past your due date is tough.  I should know, it’s happened to me four times.  This particular little babe I thought would come earlier than the others.  I was having contractions every evening  for five days before she came.  One night they got bad enough that we got out our birth tub, and called the midwife over, but they kept dying off after a few hours.  I called Kelly several times, telling her “this might be it” or “never-mind”.  It wasn’t until Monday night August 2^nd that we *knew* it was time.  Josh filled up the birth tub with some nice hot water, we called our midwife Stacey and called the photographer Kelly.  I sat on the birthing ball quite a bit in the beginning, I felt like it was moving the baby down and was wonderful relief on my back.

Eventually the contractions got strong enough to where the tub sounded like the best place to be.  Wow, did I have a hard time getting out of that tub.  Every time I got out, I wanted to get right back in. . .like NOW.  Soon I realized that being out of the tub was making my contractions stronger and closer together.  I knew that if I wanted the baby to come sooner, I needed to stay out of the tub for awhile.  It was a beautiful night, everyone was hot except me.  So Josh bundled me up and we went for a moonlit walk.  The contractions were definitely a lot tougher and I only got a block or two before I needed to turn around and go back home.  As much as I wanted to get in the tub, I felt like I needed to stay out.  So I laid on our bed and went through some more contractions.  Stacey came in and asked me where I would like to deliver. . .just the thought had me so excited that baby would be here soon!  I decided I wanted a water birth and went back in the tub. 

It felt like eternity, but I’m sure it was only a half hour to an hour more of contractions, when I could *not* resist the urge to push.  I was petrified that the baby would not come out or that I wasn’t actually ready to push, but Stacey encouraged me to do what my body was telling me.  After only a few pushes, out came my baby girl, born in her bag of waters!!  I got to hold her for as long as I wanted to in that beautifully warm tub and just relish in the high of birthing a baby.

Hubby held her in the water while I got out of the tub.  Such an amazing experience, an at home water birth, all recorded with beautiful pictures.”

Josh and Cindy have decided that they do not want to share their birth slide show with everyone on the internet.  (Sharing a birth slide show is 100% the parents’ decision)  However if you are interested home birth, especially home water birth and would like to see their slide show it is available by request.