Denver Birth Photography - the Birth of Olivia Jane at the University of Colorado

Tara and I met for coffee and croissants at the Source in Denver. We talked about her first birth and what she wanted differently for her second. Tara had a cesarean delivery with her son, and had decided that she wanted a VBAC. She choose the University of Colorado and their wonderful team of midwives to guide her through her pregnancy and birth. I was honored to join her birth team, and we chatted about the many things she could do to prepare her mind and her body for her VBAC. We expected her to go past her due date, like many VBAC mamas, but instead, I got a text message letting me know that Tara had been in a serious car-accident. She'd been rear ended and although she and baby were okay...the team at University wasn't going to let her leave labor and delivery without a baby. They couldn't tell with complete confidence that her placenta had been unaffected from the accident, and so she and baby needed continual monitoring. After several days (yes days!) induction became necessary...and Tara worked through her contractions beautifully, despite the car accident and all the soreness that results. She labored and rested and labored and rested...and finally reached 10 centimeters in the morning. Tara pushed for several hours with a great team surrounding and encouraging her. Eventually, Tara and her team decided that a cesarean birth was going to be the safest and best option for her and baby. We went back into the OR, and beautiful Olivia Jane was born twenty minutes later. She was placed skin-to-skin on her mom, as her dad and I stood close by. So often birth stories go differently than we plan or imagine. Despite the obstacles that were thrown Tara's way, she labored and birthed her baby with such strength, such grace, and such beauty.