I Don’t Know If I Want a Stranger in the Room While I’m Giving Birth
Honestly? I get it.
This was actually the reason I didn't hire a birth photographer for my first birth.
I remember thinking, Do I really want someone I don't know in the room while I'm giving birth? Birth is already vulnerable enough. Did I really want to add another person and a camera to the mix?
So if you're sitting there wondering the same thing, I completely understand.
Birth Photography in Columbus, Ohio
Birth is probably one of the most vulnerable things you will ever do. You may be naked, emotional, loud, sweaty, crying, laughing, throwing up, or doing some combination of all of the above. The idea of adding one more person to the room can feel like the exact opposite of relaxing.
And that's exactly why I don't want to be a stranger in your birth room.
Before your birth, we talk.
A lot.
We start with a phone or Zoom consultation where you can ask me questions, tell me about your pregnancy, talk through your hopes for your birth, and get a feel for who I am. I want to hear about the people you want around you, what makes you comfortable, and what you absolutely don't want.
As your due date gets closer, we'll meet in person. Maybe that's at your house, maybe over coffee or ice cream. If you're planning a home birth, I love seeing your space ahead of time and getting a feel for where everything will happen.
By the time you go into labor, we've already spent time together. You know me. I know you.
So when I walk through the door, I'm not just some random person with a camera.
I'm someone you've talked to about your birth. Someone who knows what you're hoping for. Someone who knows when you want to be left alone and when you want encouragement. Someone who has been waiting right along with you for this baby to arrive.
And once labor gets going, I'm not hovering over you with a camera in your face.
I'm paying attention.
Sometimes I'm photographing. Sometimes I'm standing back. Sometimes I'm chatting with your partner or your doula. Sometimes I'm quietly moving around the room looking for the little pieces of your story that you won't get to see for yourself.
I'm also not expecting you to suddenly become comfortable in front of a camera just because you've hired me.
You don't need to pose. You don't need to look a certain way. You don't need to think about what your face is doing.
You get to birth your baby. I'll worry about the pictures.
That's one of the reasons I love birth photography so much. My job isn't to make your birth look a certain way. It's to document the way your birth unfolds.
Whether you're planning a home birth in Columbus, a hospital birth, an unmedicated birth, an epidural, or something completely different than you originally imagined, I'm there to follow your story.
And hopefully, by the time your baby arrives, it won't feel like you invited a stranger into one of the most intimate days of your life.
It'll feel like you invited me.
Maybe I don’t have to be a stranger.
If you’re considering birth photography but still aren’t sure about having one more person in the room, let’s talk. A phone call is a pretty easy way to get a feel for who I am, ask all your questions, and see if I’m someone you’d actually want there.
No pressure. No awkward sales pitch. Just a chance to get to know each other before you decide.
