Birth Stories

Hospital Birth Photography Asheboro

A First-Time Mom’s hospital birth photography experience at Randolph Hospital in Asheboro, North Carolina

I had been calling myself a Birth Photographer for nearly two years before I ever had the opportunity to photograph my first Birth. And that’s not for lack of trying! Two of my dear friends had asked for birth photography, but as often happens in birth, things didn’t go as planned for either of them. The first delivered her baby at home as planned, but her labor was so unexpectedly quick she forgot to contact me! The second had been planning for a birth center delivery, but experienced a complication requiring an emergency delivery at 34 weeks. As happy as I was that both of my friends delivered their babies safely, I was still a little bummed that I didn’t get to document the births of their children. 

Babies come when we least expect them. As someone who has three children with a fourth on the way, the waiting is the hardest part of pregnancy. We can drink all the teas, eat the dates, curb walk, try ALL the things, but ultimately labor begins when your baby and body are ready. One of the first things I tell new moms is to not treat their estimated due date as a hard deadline because baby really could come two weeks before or after that date. There’s an entire MONTH where labor is possible! Research has shown that 75% of first time moms have their babies by 41 weeks and 2 days, and my oldest was born at 41+3. Now after two more 40+ week babies, I’ve just come to accept that I have a cozy womb and they want to stick around a little longer, ha!

But not all first babies are late!

The very first birth I ever photographed wasn’t my own client. I didn’t even know her before I had the honor of documenting her first baby’s arrival! She had booked birth photography through a photographer local to me named Adrianna. This particular photographer and I had only met once by chance when our paths crossed at a favorite spot for family sessions. We spent close to an hour chatting by our cars after wrapping up our sessions, and I remember mentioning how much I wanted to get into birth photography. Fast forward eight months later when I got this DM from Adrianna:

Of course I said yes! After quickly making sure all of my gear was ready and dropping my kids off with my mom, I headed to Randolph Hospital in Asheboro, NC to photograph my first birth. 

Everything felt rushed. I didn’t really know how far along her labor was, but I knew I couldn’t risk missing it. I headed up to the labor and delivery ward at the tiny hospital and was admitted to her room. Thankfully, the original photographer had already explained our plan, so it wasn’t a surprise for the parents to see me instead of their hired photographer, but I’m sure they felt a little uneasy. I briefly introduced myself to the new parents and promised to be pulled back and out of the way of their birth team. Having a baby is hard enough without a stranger with a camera lurking around! 

I found myself looking around the room, trying to soak in every detail of the experience. The flowered wallpaper was dated. The curtains were the exact shade of pink you would expect in a hospital room that was likely decorated in the 1990’s, but they were open to let in the warm sunshine at least. Instruments typical of a birth were carefully laid out on a tray in a corner of the room. A small whiteboard with the birth team’s names and parents’ information was hung near the newborn warmer, and beside the warmer on the floor there was an exercise ball. Other than the faint hum of the computer tracking the baby’s heart rate and mom’s contractions, the room was almost uncomfortably quiet, at least for me. I was acutely aware of the sound of my breathing as I tried to avoid being a distraction. The last thing I wanted was to further disturb the new mom with my unexpected presence. Dad was busy making sure mom had everything she needed. They had prepared a playlist of worship music that softly competed with the hospital monitors, which helped to calm my nerves as well.

Hollywood has never done a good job of portraying what birth is really like. Sure, some women are very vocal and cry out during the hardest parts of labor, but this mom was the picture of peace. She breathed deeply as her contractions began, with her husband supporting her through each wave, and slowly released her breath as each contraction subsided. If she was afraid, I couldn’t tell. Her goal was to deliver her baby naturally without intervention. Without an epidural, she was able to move around the room freely to help her baby move down. Her husband held her as they swayed in a slow dance, one of the best ways to help mom through her contractions.

After about two hours, the doctor came in to check her and mentioned that breaking her waters could help things move along. I remember having a similar conversation with my midwife while I was in labor with my first baby. Labor is exhausting physically and mentally, and often with hospital births (even birth center and planned homebirths) a care provider will offer a membrane sweep or breaking waters to help speed labor. While it certainly can increase the strength and length of contractions, there is no guarantee that breaking waters will cause baby to come sooner. I could tell that mom was tired, and dad too, but they asked for more time to allow labor to progress on its own. I didn’t know this family, but I was incredibly proud of their decision to stick to their birth goals.

Not long after, mom’s movements began to change. I could see that she was becoming increasingly uncomfortable as her contractions came closer and closer together. Many women experience a feeling of restlessness as they approach the transition from active labor to birth when every position feels impossible and uncomfortable. They may become emotional or completely closed off from the rest of the people in the room, but this mom was calm. I couldn’t believe how well she coped with the labor pains, especially for her first birth! I felt my heart pounding knowing that she was so close to meeting her baby. 

Time to Push!

The birth team came in to check her and announced that if she felt ready, she could begin pushing! Everything after that moment is a bit of a blur. There were multiple nurses in the room with us, and I did my best to stay out of the way while still capturing the angles I knew this mom would want to see in her gallery. I focused on the smaller details, like her grip on the comb in her hand helping her get through contractions, or her husband gazing at her in admiration. Every few minutes I snapped a shot of the clock in the room, just in case baby came in that minute. 

The instant a baby is born, all of the pain is replaced with joy. The room fills with laughter and cheers as mother and baby meet face to face for the first time, and this room was no exception! The new parents held each other and laughed through happy tears as they took in the details of their new baby boy. I couldn’t help but cry along with them. 

I don’t think I’ll ever forget photographing my first birth and the unusual way I officially became a birth photographer. I can’t chalk it up to fate or destiny, but God’s provision. Looking back, I can now pick out little moments He arranged to put me on the path to birth photography. As always, His timing is perfect.

Some of my favorite images I’ve ever taken were captured during this first-time mom’s labor and delivery. Learn more about Birth Photography and view some those images here!

If you’re interested in learning more about estimated due dates, check out this article from Evidence Based Birth.