This year is probably my most memorable yet as a birth photographer. When I moved from Colorado to Michigan, I didn’t know what to expect for my business. But I’ve been so excited to see that people here love and value birth photography as much as they do in Denver. Thank you to all of my clients for an INCREDIBLE year. I’m always grateful to be chosen to step into a birth space and the families that I work with are amazing.

I wanted to share a few of my favorite birth images from 2019, as well as the stories that make them so special.

What was supposed to be my last birth of 2018, was my first birth of 2019. This mom was so happy when contractions started, I've never seen a person welcome them more than her!

This client recently moved to the Detroit area. Her midwife and birth photographer from her previous births referred her to the midwives she chose and to me. It was amazing to see how her community there selected her team here and it was perfect. I also got to meet two midwives that I absolutely adore, Nicole White and Heather Robinson.

VBA2C. Yep! At University of Michigan, with midwives.

An empowered, upright, birth at University of Michigan hospital with their midwifery team.

Baby catching at it's finest!
When mama said, 'can I deliver standing up?' and her team said, 'absolutely, you can deliver however you want!'

The herbal bath photo that was seen around the world <3 This was liked by well over a million people and shared thousands of times.
Mama labored in this tub all day, but delivered on her bed. She jumped back in the tub for an herbal bath with her daughter shortly after birth and it was perfect 

The Best Text in Labor goes to Tony;

March 8th around 11:30am-

”Me: you need to come home, my water broke and I’m contracting.
Tony: but I just bought a tray of nachos.
Me: *silence*

Tony: what am I supposed to do with this food?!
Me: I DONT KNOW TONY I GUESS YOU HAVE TO GIVE IT AWAY. 😂"
Best ever!!!

When it was time to push, her back was just hurting so badly. Fortunately, her father in law is a chiropractor and she'd been seeing him for her entire pregnancy. They called him and he came to help her back and hip. Within minutes of him being here, she pushed out her surprise gender baby BOY!

Her father in law got to witness her strength and power, and the first cry and breath of his grandson.

Cue the tears.

Holding his daughter, this dad could not stop smiling. It was the best!

Birth matters, and so does being supported in your wishes when birth plans don’t go as planned. I’m so grateful that St. Joseph’s Hospital in Ypsilanti allowed me to step into the Operating Room with my camera to document these moments for families. It took a lot of advocating for this to happen, but I’m so glad it did.

I spent the entire year advocating to get into cesarean births. It was nice to finally be welcomed into one! This planned cesarean birth was with Dr. Marzano at the University of Michigan. He was wonderful at allowing me to be in the Operating room. Especially because my clients went through IVF to have their baby.

Doula support at it’s finest. Shawna Queen and Niku Rice. Birth at Nine Short Months Birth Center in Southfield, Michigan.

The first ‘Uber to a Birth’! Her hubby sent her off in an Uber, in the middle of the night, while he stayed home with their 4 other kiddos. I was there to support them as her doula and photographer. She rocked her birth and they came shortly after.

This client booked me at 37 weeks pregnant, when she was NOT in labor. 8 hours later, she was holding her daughter in her arms.

This midwife is gramma to this sweet little guy. She traveled from Colorado to Michigan to be with her daughter for her 3rd home birth. She’s caught/assisted in all of her grand-babies births. How incredible is that?