Amanda's Water Birth Story! Pt. 1

Heads up...this is a long one, and worth it. Witnessing birth for the first time was truly life changing, yet it also felt so natural and normal. If I could be a birth photographer (+ Doula + Videographer) full time I ABSOLUTELY would. 1000%. The on call life is just not for me ha! I really do feel passionate about capturing a few births a year though--so if that's you, let me know! Now, lets dive in (omg pun not intended...water birth lol) to Amanda's birth story!

Amanda's "due date" (aka a date that usually comes and goes without baby being born...did you know only 5% of women give birth on their due date!) was December 20th, 2021. We started planning together all the way back in April 2021! Spending months talking, and becoming friends, by the time December came along nothing was TMI anymore! Every day surrounding Amanda's due date we checked in with each other. Every night, I went to bed anxious I was going to miss her text in the middle of the night! Bags were packed, cameras were ready, clothes picked out! The due date came and went, the date Amanda had in her head as "the day" came and went, Christmas came and went! Amanda, like the other 81% of first time moms that go past their due date, was beyond ready to meet her babe and doing all the things to try and get labor started!

*Side note, one thing that made this whole thing extra special was that Amanda and her husband were planning on giving birth at the same birth center I gave birth to Frankie!*

New Years Eve, per usual we check in that morning and I know Amanda is meeting with her midwives today and trying a few more things the coax baby into making his or her debut! (Another special part of the story--baby's gender was going to be a surprise!) I was heading over to my brother's house later that day so I had EVERYTHING packed up before heading out the door...especially because around 2:00pm I got this text about her contractions: "Actually they are getting intense--still not that close together but I think I might be in labor." Legit was laughing out loud at "I think I might be in labor" and just giddy as hell that it was happening! At 4:30pm I get a text from her husband Phil (that's when you know shit is getting real!) letting me know that her contractions are 1 minute long and 4.5 minutes apart. Next text was around 5pm saying they were headed to the birth center! So I gathered all my things, got Frankie situated (she was more than fine hanging with her cousins & the rest of my fam...barely even noticed me leave!). I was literally shaking with anticipation and nerves the whole 20 minute drive there. I called my husband for a little pep talk (and to let him know I was headed there). When I arrived, the birth center was serene, of course! It was dimly lit, cozy, a Christmas tree still in the window. I was greeted by the calm pair of midwives that let me know what room Amanda and Phil were in...my entire body filled with goosebumps when they said "Sophia Suite," the same exact room I gave birth in!

I got myself situated, camera harness on, both cameras and lenses (legit dropped my camera trying to put it on the harness...never done that before!), external flash mounted, fresh batteries all around, and water cup filled. When I walked into the birth suite I tried to say hi as calmly as possible but I was literally bursting at the seams with excitement. Amanda was working through contractions on a birth ball, smiling and interacting in between, and Phil was standing by ready to support her or grab her a snack or water.

To be continued...the good parts coming up, obviously!