The Birth Team | Vancouver Birth Photographer
The Birth Team | Vancouver Birth Photographer
Through the births I have attended, I have become aware of the people that have been invited into a mother's birth space. Her partner. The hospital or midwifery caregivers. Her parents. Her doula. Older siblings to the baby. The dog. The cat. Not in that order, necessarily.
There is no doubt a woman can birth alone, her body can do it, and many generations of women have. But as I experienced first hand, it is such a mental game. With the support of her birth team, she does not have to endure the long road to bringing her baby earthside on her own. They will hold her hand, drape a cold cloth for the hot flashes, hydrate and nourish her body, and ease the pressure with the right counter pressures. They will give words to cheer her on and remind her that though the sensations will ebb and flow, they are all working to bring baby down. This infusion of external belief will inspire a mother's internal strength and trust her own instincts to see it through.
There ain't no "I" in Birth Team.
Certainly not in this family's birth team. Baby #3 at home and it is a full fledge family affair for Maria and Mike. Obviously Mike is key in all of this; but there in that back room with the birth pool, watching women supporting this woman is something to behold. Maria's sister flew in from New York and never left her side. I can feel the power in the room as I took front row to experience the all-star care team of Jessica (Birth Takes a Village) and Kayley and Andrea (Strathcona Midwifery Collective).
Baby B's arrival is met with cheers from her older siblings M and R, and elated grandparents minutes before Easter Sunday ended. Right on due date time.
Felicia is a Vancouver Documentary Photographer who weaves stories with true representations of birth, everyday life, and everything in between. She takes the good with the bad, and leaves judgement at the door. Throw in some coffee and a glass of wine and she may never leave your home. Contact her to find your family's edition of life story for your visual diary! To follow more of Felicia's work, connect over at @feliciachangphoto on Instagram.