Coming off the heels of 2020, we all have a pile of stories that will break hearts for years to come. I know I did not make it through the year unscathed, my exciting early 2020 job opportunity turned out to not be able to handle the pandemic and I found myself in a hard pivot. After many long conversations with my husband about our dreams and goals we brainstormed how to make my long time dream of photographing birth into a reality. We decided that even though it is a very scary time to invest in nurturing a business it was time to jump back into becoming a birth photographer! Which means I am now talking about doula services, local Grand Rapids midwives, labor signs, and navigating on call life everywhere I go again.

There are a few questions that pop up when I tell someone that I am a birth photographer.

Do you take pictures of . . . EVERYTHING? What happens if you miss the birth? How do you manage being on call? How do you know when to go the birth? How are you handling COVID? Are you even allowed in hospitals right now?

I LOVE answering every question. I light up in a totally unique way when I get to talk about birth and the honor it is to get to photograph the arrival of a tiny babe! So let me tell you why I love birth photography.

Why birth photography?

While I totally understand that having a camera at your birth may not your have been your first thought when putting together your birth plan, I would love for you to consider it! Birth is often fast paced, full of emotions and having another persons perspective can be really valuable. I believe that photography is powerful and can help us process a wide array of emotions. Whether you get the birth of your dreams, or if your delivery doesn’t go according to plan, having photos that can help you process your experience afterwards is so valuable. All birthing people and scenarios are beautiful and worth documenting. It would bring me so much joy to see more families in Grand Rapids considering the value that photographically telling their birth story would bring.

Here are a few rapid fire reasons why I love birth photography:

• Birth is mind blowingly beautiful and impactful. Our bodies are capable of truly amazing things and I think there is some serious empowerment available from being able to see firsthand what your body can do to bring your baby into the world!

  
  

• Babies change in a matter of hours, it amazing. Those wrinkles and squishy faces don’t last, but they are so worth capturing

  
  

• You can totally call the shots, whatever you are comfortable with and wanting wins. That includes asking me to leave the room for a time or requesting no photos above the waist if you want to. I’m all about supporting and serving YOU.

  
  

• I get to be like a fly on the wall, silently cheering you on and holding space for you while capturing your birth story. It is an absolute joy and honor to be invited into your labor and I take that very seriously.

  
  

• Caesarean births, home births, hospital births, hotel births, birth centers, medicated or unmedicated, midwives, and doulas are all unique to your babes story. Including the surrounding context and documenting who was at the birth is a cool way to celebrate their very first birth day.

  
  

• More support- your partner and team can focus on you instead of worrying about photos (and I can help in other ways too, just ask!)

  
  

• Your partner gets to be in the frame too. Getting to witness their hands holding and supporting you during labor through these images will be something you treasure.

  
  

• If quality in your images is important to you then I would highly suggest hiring a professional birth photographer. Composing photos quickly in changing environments and low light is hard, but I have years of experience in photography, and have invested in high quality professional equipment that does amazing in low light. I’ve got you covered.

  
  

• The day your baby is born is monumental like a wedding day, why not value documenting it.

  
  

• Photographs can be cherished and revisited, someday your baby will grow up and love to see how they arrived!

Goodness, I love talking about this so much! Okay, let’s dig in a little bit deeper below.

Won’t it be weird having a stranger in my birth space?

It could be, but that’s why it’s so important to me that we get to go out for coffee (or Zoom in the world of COVID) so that you get a chance to know me, and I get to learn your story so I can support you and your family best. I strive to get to know my clients before they go into labor, so by the time baby comes we aren’t strangers. I definitely want it to feel more like having another support person or friend in the room. Someone who is holding space for you as you work your baby into the world.

What happens if you miss a birth?

So far I have never missed a birth, but I do try to have plans in place for every scenario. I have access to excellent backup birth photographers in Grand Rapids, and I will be in contact with you if there is a reason that I have an emergency or illness that would keep me from attending your birth. If I miss the moment of birth due to baby coming really quickly I will still come and capture every glorious moment of babes first hours and postpartum. We can also discuss supplementing your birth coverage with a Fresh 48 session if needed.

When do you know when to leave for the birth and start on call?

I’m on call 24/7 starting at 38 weeks (and will make every effort to come if needed before 38 weeks if needed). It helps me most if you keep me in the loop starting about 36 weeks and especially when contractions start picking up, and when you reach out to your birth team. For a typical birth I aim to be at the hospital or birth space around 6cm or once you are in active labor. But I would always rather arrive too early than too late because there’s always beauty to capture through the whole day.

How are you handling COVID?

How early can you schedule a birth?

As early as you want to! I am limited to 2-3 births a month, which means it is possible that I could book up quickly around your due date. If you’re expecting and interested in birth photograph I’d love to chat!!

If you have any other questions, please reach out in the comment section or via email at info@randiarmstrong.com and I’d love to answer those too.