Unmedicated Birth at Parker Adventist
Emilyanne is a fellow Denver photographer, who shoots absolutely gorgeous weddings. And when she’s not doing beautiful things with her camera…she’s also an engineer AND a mama to her two precious kiddos. I could so relate to being a busy working mom, and so we connected instantly.
Emilyanne was planning her second birth at Parker Adventist…and if possible, she wanted to give birth without an epidural. I love supporting and photographing moms who make ALL types of birth choices (c-sections, epidurals, unmedicated, homebirths, etc) and I knew that whatever route her birth took…it would still be a beautiful one.
When I went on-call for Emilyanne, I was actually at the end of my first trimester and just coming out of the fog of extreme morning sickness. Her birth was going to be one of the first births I attempted since getting pregnant, and so I was both excited and nervous when I got the call. I was hoping and praying that I’d be able to handle it! Shortly after they checked in, I joined Emilyanne and Cole (her sweet husband) at the hospital. She was already 5-6 cm dilated and contractions were coming on steadily. We were able to laugh and talk for a good hour before everything shifted. But then suddenly, she and Cole stopped joking…and she had to focus all of her energy on working through each contraction. I could tell that things were moving quickly…and before long I could tell she was in transition.
It’s hard to describe what transition feels like - and I know it differs for each woman - but I think the one word that I hear most often is INTENSE. Transition and the minutes leading up to the birth of your baby are probably some of the most intense moments of your life.
But Emilyanne powered through those back-to-back contractions like she had hoped she would…and before long she felt the urge to push…and not long after that her sweet Ollie came flying into the world. She was so overjoyed to meet her baby AND to have achieved her goal. I was SO honored to capture the love and joy that filled that room (and I ended up feeling AMAZING the entire time).
