I thought to myself, if I find out the gender now and it happens to be a girl, I WILL feel disappointed. On some level. For some reason.
But it wasn’t the disappointment I was worried about. It was the guilt of feeling disappointed that I knew was sure to follow that really deterred me from finding out.
Read MoreBirthing women are in such a vulnerable state that the words they hear and the language used around them can trigger an emotional response such as fear or hope.
And as I’ve discussed in previous blogs (read about it here), these emotional responses can trigger the release of flight or fight hormones which have a direct impact on the progress of labour.
Read MoreIt’s been a huge few weeks for the Australian photography community and an equally as big one in the Birth Photography community.
Every year, the Australian Institute of Professional Photographers (AIPP) holds National Awards at which the best of the best of Australia’s (and some other nations too!) photographers put their hearts on the line and put their beloved art forward to be judged.
Read More‘I can remember watching in horror as women's wrists were strapped to the side of the metal delivery frame, so that "the patient would not contaminate the sterile field", prior to an operative vaginal delivery, which we were summoned to observe. Forceps rotations and other manipulations were the hallmark of the skilful obstetrician, the highest compliment for whom was "he is great with his hands".
Read More“Just to really drive this home for you; VBACs and the risk of uterine rupture are almost a complete non-issue when compared to the statistics for maternal outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women who die at THREE TIMES the rate for other Australian women.”
Read MoreIt’s one of the first things that comes to mind for most people when they think or speak about child birth – the pain. So it goes without saying that many people go into their births expecting that they will need or that they are going to opt for pain relief, regardless of how their actual birth transpires.
Read More“The evidence proves that when pushing is delayed until the mother's urge to push, there are fewer fetal heart rate decelerations and less of a negative effect fetal oxygenation. Add in the lowered risk of needing interventions and it's really a no-brainer. “
Read MoreTo be able to say that the birth has been missed, you must be able to define when the birth commenced….and in my mind, the birth of our babies commences at the time of conception. It is such a long and beautiful journey and our babies are working and growing towards being birthed from the moment they have been created.
Read More“Unlike a husband, mother or friend, doulas are professionals who devote their lives to supporting women during this vitally important time in their life and they have lots of knowledge about different birth options. Doulas bring with them the experience of seeing a wide array of different birth outcomes so they are flexible, rather than rigid, in their expectations. They do not bring into the birth room any fear of birth, or their own personal history with the birthing woman which may impact on her birth.”
Read MoreCan we really say that our maternal health care system is “Safe” simply because our Government can guarantee that you and your baby have a good chance of NOT DYING during birth?
Read MoreIt is a delicate operation. Birth is sacred and as birth photographer’s we know to honour this sacred intimate space and how to navigate the twists and turns that birth can throw at you.
A good birth photographer will make you feel safe, they will make you feel supported and at ease.
A good birth photographer isn’t just interested in getting good images for you, I mean that is what we are there for but ensuring you have the birth you want is paramount and comes first.
Read MoreBelieve it or not one of the biggest risk factors for getting a c-section is not your personal preferences or your medical record, it is which hospital you go to and which care provider you choose.
So choose wisely my friend.
At 25 I was the first of my close friends to have the opportunity to welcome a baby into this world.
I was ready. I had already served two operational tours of duty in Afghanistan leading a team of men in the search of improvised explosives, how hard could this be?
I was sure the birth would be simple in comparison however, nothing in the world can prepare you for the experience of helping your loved one bring a new baby into this world.
Read More"I was alone at an ultrasound, with no one to hold my hand, when the sonographer put his hand on my arm and simply said “I’m sorry…”, I thought, sorry for what? He said it as though there was only one outcome.
It was the most definitive answer I had been given my entire pregnancy, it just wasn’t the answer I was searching for."
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