When Everything Feels Uncertain, Birth Photography Helps Capture the Beauty in the Chaos
I recently had the honor of working Jenni & Jovan and the birth of their son, Noah. Their birth story is filled with strength, challenges, and so so much love. It’s a great example of why birth photography matters so much!
Noah’s Arrival: A Birth Story Full of Love and Resilience
Noah is Jenni’s second baby, and her first little boy. He was born weighing 8 pounds 2 ounces, with cheeks for days! Jenni’s pregnancy was planned and filled with a ton of excitement, but it also came with some challenges.
“Pregnancy was rough,” she told me. Morning sickness, food aversions, and even some physical pain made it harder than she expected. She lost 20 pounds in her first trimester and faced complications like carpal tunnel. But through it all, Jenni focused on her excitement to meet baby Noah.
Preparing for Labor
Jenni gave birth at 39 weeks after being induced at Children’s Hospital. “It was scary but exciting,” she said. She’d prepared by watching videos from doulas to learn techniques for working through contractions and laboring positions. But when the time came, nothing went quite as expected.
Labor began at 10:30 PM, just 30 minutes after the induction started. It brought on cluster contractions and back labor that made every moment intense. At first, Jenni tried to breathe through the pain, but as the contractions got stronger, she was ready for the relief of an epidural!
A Quick and Emotional Delivery
After hours of hard labor, Noah was born with just a few pushes. “It was the perfect delivery,” Jenni told me. With a mirror to watch her baby’s arrival, she felt so proud of and connected to her body.
But the joy was followed by complications. Noah became unresponsive during their first moments of skin-to-skin contact and was taken to the NICU. And at the same time, Jenni had significant blood loss and had to focus on her own recovery. Those first 48 hours were incredibly hard, as she balanced her own healing with her worry for Noah and missing her older daughter at home.
Why Document Your Birth Story?
When I asked Jenni why she decided to have her birth photographed, she said, “I want to look back and relive the moments. I want to remember this for the rest of my life.” The photos became a way for her to process everything that happened—the joy, the challenges, and the love.
“The more I look through them, the more I feel like I’m healing from the trauma. They remind me how lucky and thankful I am to have my son here,” she shared. Her favorite images were the ones capturing Noah’s delivery and their brief but precious moments of skin-to-skin time.
What It’s Like to Have Me in Your Birth Space
I always strive to fit in naturally with the families I work with, and it meant so much to hear Jenni say, “Kylie was amazing. She fit in perfectly with my family. She wasn’t just a photographer—she stepped in and supported me when my family had to leave. She kept me calm and helped take care of me. I can’t thank her enough.”
As a birth photographer, I’m there to document your story but also to support you when you need it. I’m always so honored to be part of such intimate and life-changing moments!
Was Birth Photography Worth It?
When I asked Jenni if it was worth it to have her birth documented, she said, “Yes, 10000%.”
Birth photography isn’t just about capturing beautiful images—it’s about preserving memories that might otherwise fade. It’s about remembering the strength you showed, the love that filled the room, and the first time you held your baby.
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