Sechelt BC Birth Photography // Baby Kingston Oke Steele // Sunshine Coast BC Photographer
“Birth is not only about making babies. Birth is about making mothers--strong, competent, capable mothers who trust themselves and know their inner strength.”
I met Kat for coffee at around 2:00pm on November 21, the day she would give birth. We met at The Bakery, both toting our children along for the relaxed meeting where we would talk about our expectations of the birth session. I love to touch base with new clients over a cup of coffee to see if we are a good fit - especially birth clients, as it’s such a personal experience to be invited into! I walked into the cafe to see Kat sitting with her adorable son, Raiden. Kat had such a warm, inviting smile and her energy was calm and serene — I never would have guessed that she was contracting while we sat and spoke for over a half hour! She informed me of the birth scenario — that her parter Thomas, her Dr. and nurses and myself would be in the room. Kat didn't have an official birth plan but she was sure that she did not want to receive an epidural. It’s so important to touch base with your photographer so that they have a good idea of what to expect during the birth. But, as most of us know from our own personal experience — not all things go the way we have it planned in our head.
As the day went on, I went about my regular routine with my daughter Olivia. I made sure to keep my phone on and ready to go so that I could drop Liv off at a family members place when I got the call to head to the hospital. I remember feeling a rush waiting for her to call me; that rush that I felt when I, myself was pregnant. Once you are induced, you are officially only hours away from looking into the eyes of your child -- there is a rush of adrenaline that consumes you. There really is no better moment to look forward to than the birth of your own child.
That evening, around 8:30 pm Kat messaged me to tell me that it was time for me to make my way to the hospital. I was so excited to be a part of someone else’s birth story — It’s such a personal moment that I was so honoured to be invited into to capture for them. I arrived at 8:45 pm and began capturing some details of the hospital, the room and some photos of Kat and Thomas as they waited for her labour to pick up. She was about 6 centimetres dilated and her contractions were coming on strong — although, like I said before, you would never be able to tell because this woman was handling them like a warrior!
After about 30 minutes, Kat’s contractions came on very strong and she was handling all of the waves with only a bit of “laughing gas”. I remember the look on her face when she said to the Dr. that she was ready. She was determined, strong and anticipating the moment she would meet her baby she had been creating for the past 9 months. Her Dr. wanted her to hold off and he recommended an epidural to slow her contractions. Kat was strong in her decision to refrain from receiving any more interventions during her labour. And she knows her body well, because not even 10 minutes later she knew with 100% certainty that her son wasn't going to wait to enter this world any longer! Her Dr. prepared all of the necessities for the delivery and with only a few strong contractions Kat was holding her precious newborn baby boy in her arms.
It was such an unbelievable experience to be a part of; to watch a woman stick to her “plan” and not waiver, to trust her body and know that it’s telling her that it’s time, to use all of her strength and determination to bring her child Earth side with very limited interventions. Watching her meet her child was honestly one of the most beautiful moments I have experienced. I relived my own birth of my daughter in that moment, and although our birth stories differed in many ways, that feeling that I saw in her eyes when she met her son was exactly the same. I could see her heart grow, her breath calmed, her eyes softened and she was peaceful. After the waiting, and the storm, here was the calm. Here was her son. He laid in her arms and they just gazed at each other, like they had known each other in some other life before this one.
The next morning I headed to the hospital again to get some photos of them in the daylight. I really wanted to capture some photos of her son Raiden with her newborn son Kingston.Thank you to Kat and Thomas for allowing me to capture so much of your birth experience. It truly was such a special moment to be a part of. Congratulations on the growth of your beautiful family.
L xo
"If you have ever considered birth photography I highly recommend Laura Olson, she made me feel so comfortable, supported and empowered even before meeting. She has a way of capturing the moment in a tasteful and timeless manner. I loved every moment of dealing with Laura and I am so thankful she was apart of my labour and birthing experience."
