LAWTON, OK BIRTH PHOTOGRAPHY | BABY VA'AULU

It was the Sunday after Easter. Right after we had gotten home from church. Really, the timing couldn't have been more perfect. Margaret was scheduled to induce that evening at midnight. We were both hoping for her body to kick into gear so she could have the complete natural labor she wanted. Around 2:00pm I got a text that her contractions were more consistent. Realistically, I still had some time before I needed to make my way to her, but since I live in Duncan, OK, and she was giving birth in Lawton, OK, (an hour away), I didn't want to take any chances. That text was all I needed to pack up my gear and start my drive to Southwestern Medical Center. 

By 3:30pm Margaret, her husband Blake, and sister Sarah, arrived and we walked all through the hospital to get to the labor and delivery area. They gave her the gown, did all the paperwork, and then waited and waited some more. We all just knew it could be within the hour that we would see the newest member of the family...but it didn't happen.

Thankfully, they were easy to talk to and full of conversation. At one point we definitely mentioned Grey's Anatomy - working off the hospital vibe. 

Now it was 6:00pm and we were beginning to think it could be hours still. It seemed like the perfect time for a dinner break. Sarah and I left - leaving Margaret to pace the room, and Blake to keep her relaxed. 

Not thirty minutes later, I get a text from Margaret. Her water broke, she was dilated to a 6, and labor was picking up. I swallowed the rest of my burger and raced back to the hospital as fast as the speed limit would allow (and maybe just a few miles an hour more).

I could tell immediately when I walked into the room that she had hit her transition phase of the labor. Still calm and collected, but much more focused on breathing than when I left. Even in that last phase of labor, Blake was able to keep her laughing in between contractions. I think that might have been her secret weapon, and what gave her the stamina to make it all the way to the end without any medical help. 

When I met with Margaret for our consultation, I asked her how much of her story she would feel comfortable with me sharing. She checked all the boxes, giving me full permission to share the most amazing parts of the Birth Story. The images are powerful, but are very raw. God designed our bodies to create new life, and Margaret felt empowered to share her story in full.

It happened quickly. The waters breaking literally opened the baby flood gate. The hospital team moved into place, and her body started pushing as everyone moved to their postitions. We were all watching amazed, silent, stunned at how rapidly Baby was coming. I inadvertently let out a, "You are doing such a great job, Margaret! Keep going!" And with just a few more pushes he was here.

Baby Isala. Born on April 8 @7:45pm.

Sarah said when we first arrived that she was so happy to be there and see her nephew be born. When we both left, she went to get pizza and to check on big brother who was playing at a friend's house. Margaret transitioned and pushed Baby Isala so fast that Sarah walked back into the room, arms full of pizza and breadsticks, just moments after the birth. The look on her face as she realized her sister was holding her nephew instead of her nephew still being in the womb, it a look I'll never forget. Instantly, tears starting falling down Sarah's face, and she came over to get her first peek at Isala.

There is a tangible relief once baby is born. Everything slows back down. No one is in a hurry. It's such a peaceful time.

Isala was weighed, swaddled, and fed. Momma was cleaned up and fed too, thanks to the breadsticks Sarah brought. 

I drove home still full of adrenaline. As always in awe and thankful to God that I get to capture Birth Days. To think this family knew me by name and profile picture only, and still trusted me to serve them on this special day, as their Birth Photographer, all the way over in Lawton at the Southwestern Medical Center - I'll never stop being thankful for that.