“ Time stands still
Beauty in all she is
I will be brave
I will not let anything take away
What's standing in front of me
Every breath, every hour has come to this

. . . .

I have died every day waiting for you
Darling, don't be afraid
I have loved you for a thousand years
I'll love you for a thousand more”
~ Christina Perri

Birth Location:
Born in Labor & Delivery Operating Room at South Health Campus hospital in Calgary, Alberta

Birth Team:
Collaborative care by South Health Campus obstetrics team, lead by Dr. Lafreniere and Birth Partnership Midwives
Doula / Birth photographer - Lindsey @ adora birth + wellness

Tools + Techniques:
professional doula support, second support person in operating room and recovery unit, planned Caesarean section, Spinning Babies postures and physiological positioning

Lindsey’s Note: Capturing and sharing birth moments through photography goes a long way toward showing other families what birth *really* looks like in various scenarios. Choosing to share your images publicly is never required, but I'm always thrilled to give a platform to your story in a way that can help normalize what all variations of real birth look like.

This family (now friend!) has been so gracious to not only allow me to share a selection of her images, but also to enter a photograph from their experience in the birth photography competition “Birth Becomes You Image Showcase.” I was incredibly honored when our entry captured both First Place in the judged competition, as well as a People’s Choice Aware for favourite image as voted by the public.

Please enjoy our entry, “Leaking Joy,” as well as additional never-before-seen moments from Adorable M’s Caesarean birth story.

<3

“Leaking Joy”

S + A chose a scheduled Caesarean Section birth after her breech babe just wouldn't turn, and wasn't a good candidate for a vaginal breech delivery. She was adamant that birth photography be part of her surgical experience, and her midwifery, obstetric, and anesthesia teams graciously made that happen. This image of her relief, disbelief, and joy especially spoke to me as S is an optometrist. She has spent hours upon hours examining the eyes of others so that they may see life's greatest moments...and now, here she was, experiencing one herself, through her own beautiful eyes, leaking joy.

Are you ready to bring a doula and birth photographer into your birth experience? adora is accepting limited Calgary doula + birth photography clients at South Health Campus, Rockyview General Hospital, Foothills Medical Centre, Peter Lougheed Centre, High River Hospital, Arbor Birth Centre, Canmore Hospital, as well as Calgary and area home births. Book a meet + greet today to learn more.