Denver Birth Photographer: The Birth of Flynn

Kobie is a fellow photographer, and it's always a huge honor when I'm asked to photograph a birth by someone in my profession. 

After a cesarean section with her first child, Kobie wanted a vaginal delivery with her second. She prepared for a VBAC and claimed it from day one. Kobie is a huge advocate in the birth and breastfeeding community in Denver, so she was surrounded by encouragement and support. Despite dealing with HG, Kobie was always so bright and cheerful and ready to help anyone and everyone she could. 

I love this woman, if you can't tell!

Her water broke just before midnight on Tuesday. This came as quite the surprise to us all because she was only 35 weeks pregnant. She sent me a text, and I started to pray...because one of my other clients was scheduled for an induction the following morning.

The next 24 hours were a blur. I ended up with three clients in labor...and Kobie was the last birth I went to. Despite her water breaking, contractions didn't start until several hours of full-dose pitocin had been administered. Well over 24 hours after that first initial text message. 

When contractions finally did start, they came on strong and fast. She asked to be checked and was disappointed to hear she was only a few centimeters dilated. But once they checked her, the contractions increased even more in intensity. Every minute. Long and painful. (Little did we know that she was going from 2-10 cm in a matter of minutes and that her placenta was abrupting). She asked for an epidural to help manage the pain. Once it was administered, her midwife wisely decided to check her. 

Sure enough, after 45 minutes she was complete, and also bleeding. We set up for delivery and the midwife told Kobie she had no choice but to push. To push with a contraction. To push without a contraction. We had to get baby Flynn out. 

And just like the rockstar Kobie has been all along, she did it.