I (Renee) consider myself incredibly lucky to have been a part of photographing Alicia & Kyle’s birth story here in Northern Arizona. As a birth photographer, you anticipate the arrival of these perfect little newborn and feel as much excitement as the parents. Documenting these birth stories give you a gratitude for life, the power of the human body and the gifts we give each other through human connection. Here is a little bit from Alicia about how her birth story went…
“I spent 8 months being slightly terrified of the giving birth process and the last month just begging for it to get here, as I assume most pregnant women do. On one hand your body just knows what to do but on the other hand the process is filled with uncertainty and unknowns. I had no idea what to expect when I started having pain on Tuesday afternoon. Was it labor? Was it Braxton Hicks? How much worse would it get? How would I know when to go to the hospital? Those questions circled around in my mind all evening, through the night, and into the next afternoon as the pain continued to get worse. Part of me just wanted to get to the hospital for the peace of mind of knowing that people who did know what to expect would be there and I saw it as a necessary step in the process. Perhaps once we got there, things would move along, I thought, and I’d be holding a baby soon! It wasn’t quick. It was long, painful, and exhausting. My body has never been pushed so hard, literally, as I pushed for two straight hours. I wasn’t sure I could keep going, I wasn’t sure I had enough energy or strength. I wasn’t sure I could continue to breathe through the pain. But alas, I did, and she came out. In an instant the pain stopped and a sort of peace rolled over me. Part of me just sat there waiting for another surge of pain like I had come to expect over the previous 30 hours. It truly is a miracle. Looking down at a little face that is looking back up at you in wonder and thinking “I made that.” That little bean I saw months ago is a tiny human. I grew her and I pushed her out. It’s an indescribable feeling. I can’t say I felt empowered or strong until a few days later when it really sunk in what my body had accomplished. Part of that was likely the constant reminder in the form of full body pain! My respect for women has strengthened but perhaps more importantly my respect for myself and my body grew immensely and I will always be grateful to my little person for giving me that. Birth is raw, it’s emotional, it’s hard, it takes your body to places you never thought you were capable of but it’s also incredibly amazing. “
Now take a look in photos of how her birth story went down- Renee, The R2 Studio
