Charlotte Homebirth: Baby David

I was so nervous to photograph my first homebirth! When the call finally came, I was brimming with adrenaline, trying not to speed down the highway, but my gut told me that this wouldn't be a long labor. This mama has a high pain tolerance and when she called me earlier in the day, she was already having some intense pain.

When I arrived, both midwife apprentices were already there and the main midwife was on her way. Mama was already in the pool, quietly working her way through each contraction. Unlike the hospital births I'd had, nothing here was beeping, no one was scurrying about, nobody was poking or prodding the woman in labor, everything was so peaceful!

Baby David came out into the water, safely into the arms of an apprentice and was quickly passed to his parents to meet him.

Photographing the arrival of this beautiful baby boy was a life-changing experience for me. It changed my own view of birth, but also helped me find a direction in life. I realized that birth was truly a passion for me and something that I deeply wanted to be involved in. Since that first birth, I've had the priviledge of shooting several more and am always moved and honored to be a part of the arrival of a new life.