A Birth Story

Last week I was honored to document my first Birth Story. What an amazing day it was! It began when my alarm went off at 4:00 am, since I wanted to leave for the hospital by 5:00. My client had gone into labor the night before, so I left my phone on all night just to make sure I didn't miss a call if things were progressing faster than anticipated. Boy, 4:00 am comes early! My eyelids felt like they had sand beneath them as I chugged my coffee and attempted to bring the highway in front of me into focus. It helped to think that as tired as I felt, it wasn't anywhere close to how the laboring mama must feel right about now.

I arrived at the hospital as the sky was just beginning to lighten. The air was crisp and bitter cold as I hurried from my car into the building. A passing nurse kindly pointed me in the right direction, sparing me from unneccessarily wandering the maze of hallways.

At this time of the morning, the halls were quiet and empty.

The door was just ajar, and soft light melted out.

Not wanting to disturb the family, I wandered the unit for a bit and spied this lovely sculpture.

I quietly knocked and peeked in... In case you didn't know, the laboring mama calls the shots when it comes to room temperature.

Waiting. Concentrating.

I tried to stay out of the way, quietly snapping some shots of the little details. Things that would soon be forgotten without someone to document them.