A Denver Homebirth Story - Welcome Eden

Lauren and I met at a birth. She served as doula. I served as photographer. As we watched our friend welcome her baby into the world with such strength and beauty, we connected. Lauren was 7 months pregnant at the time and anticipating her 3rd homebirth. She reached out to me a few weeks later and asked if I had any more availability in May. I told her yes...fully anticipating a beautiful and joy-filled birth. 

Lauren is the owner of Belly Bliss, one of Denver's leading yoga and motherhood studios, and her aunt, Debra is the creator and director of Orgasmic Birth, a movement that has encouraged thousands of women to embrace the pleasure in birth. Debra planned on attending Lauren's birth, along with her mother, and I couldn't wait to immerse myself in such a birth-positive space. 

Lauren texted me on Mother's Day...she thought it was time. She worked through contractions during the morning (allowing me to celebrate Mother's Day with my sweet girls) and then I joined her in the early afternoon. Lauren's contractions were strong, but she worked through them beautifully. Her bedroom was full of light and life. We could hear baby sparrows chirping outside on the back deck. Lauren moved into the birth pool...and began to anticipate the intensity of transition. But before we knew it, Lauren's water broke, and with it came a strong urge to push. I ran out to the hallway to call Joe, her husband, back upstairs. He ran in with their oldest son and jumped in the pool just seconds before Baby Eden came into the world. 

There was so much love and peace and beauty in this story. I was honored to be there along such strong women.