I first met Ashley and Matt in the beginning of their third trimester and we hit is off right away. Their sense of humor and our personalities clicked right away. Birth Photography at Wentworth-Douglass Hospital is on the rise and I was so happy when they chose me to document the birth of their first child. I knew that it was going to be a great experience and the nurses, midwives and hospital staff were amazing to work with and were SO amazing in helping Ashley have the natural birth that she wanted.
After 5 years of infertility struggles, Ashley and Matt were over the moon to be expecting their first son on Thanksgiving Day. During their maternity photo session there was lots of joking and laugher about what it would be like in the delivery room and I knew that Matt was going to make this birth HYSTERICAL! I wasn’t wrong.
Thanksgiving came and went and no baby. After a few false alarms, I finally got the call from daddy to be, Matt at 4:45am on December 3rd saying they were headed to the hospital. He was the best at keeping me posted as her labor progressed and around 9am I jumped in the car and headed to Dover.
When I arrived, it was quiet and dark and Ashley was breathing quietly through her contractions while her midwife and Matt were reassuring her that she could do it through every contraction. “You got this babe” was whispered through each contraction followed by a funny remark once they had subsided. Matt was one of those dads who was fully involved and knew EXACTLY how to help his wife get through to meeting their son. Humor was very much a part of their birth plan :).
Over the next hour or so we all held space while Ashley moved from the bed, to the birthing ball and back again. I was in awe of her as she labored quietly with so much strength. She whispered to her nurse “I don’t think I can do this anymore” and just then we heard a pop (yes a pop) and her water broke. Her body knew just what to do and she instinctively started pushing.
With just a few quick pushes, Baby Samuel entered the world just in time for us all to watch the Patriots Game (mom is a big fan).
This beautiful morning birth was one of my favorites because I got to capture the emotion of other family members meeting Baby Samuel for the first time. Birth is emotional for all of those involved and I can’t lie…I shed a tear every now and then. Birth is Beatuiful!
One of my favorite parts of birth photography is capturing all of those little details during a baby’s first exam. The weight, the length, those little features…all the details for mom to cherish forever.
And then there were 3!
Thank you to Ashely and Matt for allowing me to capture their beautiful birth story! I am already looking forward to the next one:).
If you are interested in learning more about Birth Photography, I would love to schedule a time to chat. Contact me today to set up a FREE 15-Minute Phone Consultation.
