June 2021 – Kelly Bond Photography – Newborn portrait photographer

Why I love birth photography

I have a huge passion to provide women with memories of what their incredible bodies are capable of. I am a Mum to 3. I loved watching my growing bump, and feel I have achieved something wonderful by carrying my babies, and bringing them into the world.

After the birth of my first 2 children not going completely to plan, I set out to be as an informed as possible, approaching my 3rd birth armed with information and research. I was also very keen to have it documented in photo form to replay the experience (memories do not serve me greatly post babies). This is where my dream of being a birth photographer began. You can read about my own birth story here: https://www.kellybond.com/2021/04/birth-and-babies-positive-birth-bucks-birth-photographer/

I am based in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, and live around a 10 minute drive from Stoke Mandeville Hospital. I gave birth to all of my babies here, the first 2 on the labour ward, and the last in the birth centre, a water birth. Being located so close to the hospital is ideal for the sometimes speedy arrivals of babies, certainly the case for the birth I will be sharing in this blog series.

Choosing a birth photographer in Aylesbury, Bucks

The lovely Ayshah got in contact with me about photographing the birth of her 3rd baby. I more commonly photograph 2nd or 3rd time Mums for birth photography. Why? Because afterwards is when you realise what an incredible thing you have just done, and it isn’t until the next birth that you think about how you will remember this. So often, after seeing the images of their birth, Mum’s say ‘I wish I had known about you for my first birth’.

Being a Mum to 2 boys already, she wanted to remember this birth for what it is; amazing, powerful, an accomplishment. We met up for an informal chat first at her home in Aylesbury – very important – I want you to feel comfortable with me to have me present for such an intimate event. I knew Ayshah from a mutual friend, but we hadn’t worked together professionally before.

“When I first thought about having a birth photographer, I wasn’t sure….but after meeting Kelly to chat about birth and my story, I felt a lot more confident.
When in labour, its like being in a hazy dream so having another person in the room that knew me and knew what I wanted just gave me that extra peace of mind”
Ayshah

Initially, we meet for an informal chat to just talk about your previous births, plans for this birth, and what I will do during your birth. Booking is the next stage, confirming when I’ll be on call from, what is included, and deposits paid. We can then meet again as often as you like in the lead up to the birth to just get to know each other a bit more.

I love talking about birth, pregnancy and babies! You can let me know preferences for what you would like captured, or let me just click away as the story unfolds.

Hospital birth – guidelines

Ayshah messaged me when she was in labour, and again when she was heading to hospital. My bag was packed (labour length can vary, so snacks and water are a must), so I just picked up my Nikon armed with 50mm f/1.8 – my fastest and smallest lens. As I plan to be unobtrusive, so must my camera be!

When in the hospital room, I ensure that I am out of the way from medical professionals. My job is to document the birth, and I have no active role in intervening in the physical side of the birth, unless we have discussed a doula role. A midwife or any doctor always have priority and I will always move elsewhere, or already be nestled away in a corner.

From my experience in hospitals though, all the midwives have always been lovely and accommodating. They appreciate that the labouring mother wants these images, and the midwives usually openly invite to make room for me.

Birth story – part one – labour

Ayshah was in the birthing centre at Stoke Mandeville and just getting ready to get into the pool. I said my hello’s, and settled into the background. When she got into the pool, she appeared much calmer.

“I did notice the first few clicks of the camera but after a while they just blended into the background”

A little while after being in the pool, Ayshah used some gas and air for a little extra help, but the physical touch of her husband, Gari, was very obviously a wonderful aid of support. He stayed by her side constantly, offering physical loving touch through holding hands and hugs. Touch from a birthing partner can be a positive and calming way to reduce pains in labour.

I was only in the room around 30mins, when the contractions intensified. The gas and air was helping to regulate her breathing and keep some focus, but I could see her confidence was wavering.

Our friendship had developed a lot during Ayshah’s pregnancy, and I was quite in tune with what was wanted from this birth from our regular chats. At times, my role transferred to a doula support, only when needed. We had discussed this previously.

“Kelly has such a calm presence and was able to know when to say some positive reminders and reassure me I could do it”

Birth story – part 2 – the birth

Ayshah’s second baby was a weighty 11lb 2oz, so we were all expecting a good sized weight for baby no.3. When her body was pushing, it was necessary for Ayshah to stand in the pool for the aid of gravity. The not so little baby boy was a little stuck with his shoulders and needed an extra hand from the midwife to guide him out.

The midwives of Stoke Mandeville Hospital really are exceptional. They helped Ayshah deliver a beautiful 11lb 3oz boy in the pool, following her birth plan. Ayshah remained in the pool for delayed cord clamping and had some gorgeous skin to skin time. Baby Cooper took a little while to pink up on the Apgar score, but it wasn’t long before he was exploring his lungs. Smiles all round!

I may have shed a few tears behind the camera… these moments are so incredibly precious. Even just looking back at these birth photography images from this 2017 birth, it makes me keen for another! It floods back all the memories of that day; the anticipation in the room, the tangible moments witnessed during a height of a contraction, the love seen and felt seeing parents holding the baby in their arms.

“Having photos of the birth of Cooper is something I’m so grateful for. Its so easy to forget these phenomenal moments”

Birth story – part 3 – after the birth

The placenta was being a little stubborn after a while in the pool having cuddles. As the cord had finished pulsing and providing the baby with extra blood from the placenta, the cord was cut so that Ayshah could get out of the pool to deliver the placenta.

Delayed cord clamping is advised with most babies and has big benefits to the baby.

“Deferred cord clamping allows extra blood to be transferred from the placenta, increasing the amount of iron transferred to your baby. Iron is essential for brain development and infants with better iron levels seem to do better on tests of neurodevelopment later in childhood.
DCC (delayed cord clamping) makes babies more stable after birth. If the cord is clamped immediately, there is a sudden drop in blood pressure due to the movement of blood into the lungs when the baby takes their first breaths. DCC allows extra blood from the placenta to replace the blood, keeping the blood pressure more stable.“
NHS website

I personally find the cord and placenta amazing! This organ connects baby and Mum for 9 months, providing the baby everything it needed to grow and develop, ready to be welcomed into the world.

A post birth cuddle – baby boy comfy in his mother’s arms

Seeing these parents bring another beautiful baby boy into the world was my absolute privilege. The connection in their relationship is intimate, knowing, understanding and welcoming. It is the image of love. Gari was right by her side the whole time. A husband’s role during labour is not to be on the sidelines, but right in it with his wife.

In the words of Jess Urlichs:

Thank you for standing by me
watching what I’ve gone through.
I forget sometimes through teary eyes
that you’ve had to go through it too.
The labor and the birth
while that pain was mine.
Your hand was never far away
Your eyes never so wide.

Last words of testimony from Ayshah:

“Having Kelly at the birth was so special to us, having a familiar and calming support of someone who loves and appreciates birth as well as knowing she will capture moments that are so sacred. The birth of a baby changes you, and to have that captured is incredibly special”

The next in this birth series is a super speedy home birth. I’m looking forward to sharing with you.

Meeting my first birth client

I was ecstatic when my first birth photography enquiry came through, back in 2016. I related so much to the Mum; traumatic first birth, hopes for a positive birth, wanting support, wishing to hold onto the memories of a more positive experience.

Helen got in touch after seeing my Facebook post about wanting to photograph births, and we set up a face to face meeting. We clicked straight away (no photography pun intended). We talked about her experience with her first birth and her hopes and plans for the birth of her second baby. Helen shared with me the trauma and sad feelings that surrounded her birth experience.

Having experienced some post trauma to my first birth, I could completely relate and immediately wanted to do everything I could to help her achieve ambitions. I left feeling incredibly excited for what was to come!

When you are expecting a baby, your due date is engrained on your brain, and as it edges ever closer, you expect baby to have arrived. More commonly, babies arrived anywhere between 37-42 weeks, and less than 5% of babies actually arrive on their due date.

With this in mind, I was on call from 2 weeks before her due date, and I was constantly checking my phone to be sure I didn’t miss any messages! When my phone pinged with a text to let me know things were starting (38 weeks and 6 days gestation), I was literally dancing around my living room as all timings had aligned for me to be definitely available.

Arriving at the house for home birth

I set off for Helen’s house when her husband informed me that the pool was filling and she wanted to get in. When I arrived, the midwives were already there and Mum was in the pool. All seemed fairly calm; Helen was regularly contracting and her written birth affirmations pinned to the wall to help her retain focus.

“The lights were dimmed right down with just the tree lights twinkling. It was lovely and relaxing.”

‘I can breathe my baby out’ – KG hypnobirthing

I noted my surroundings, the available light source, took some test shots to get my camera settings ready for the environment, and set up in a corner of the room, intending to just blend into the background, my presence being an unobtrusive as possible.

I stepped in only when Helen’s husband was out of the room, to offer my hands as support for her to hold in the height of a contraction. Knowing I was able to help keep Mum’s focus with a helping hand later encouraged me to add doula services to my work.

Those moments of strength gained from physical touch are so important during labour as it helps to raise oxytocin levels, a love hormone. Oxytocin can relieve pain and offer comfort in the same way a hug releases those endorphins.

A baby girl is born, just as the birth plan was intended

In our initial consultation, Helen expressed her wish to see the crowning of her baby for herself and used a mirror in the pool at times. I did capture the crowning and head being delivered, but for the purposes of privacy, those images are just for the parents.

Pushing, and baby crowning – pool birth at home

“Kelly captured my baby emerging into this world from the most tasteful angles”

Being present for that first second you see your baby is so wonderful. That raw emotion, and absolute amazement of what has just happened, captured in a beautiful image of love. I feel privileged to be invited to witness such an intimate event.

Helen was incredible. After her first birth that caused emotional trauma, she was set on achieving a birth which she had more control of. I felt so happy for her once her baby girl was in her arms – she had done it – she had achieved the positive birth she so longed for!

“I look back on the images with amazement of what I achieved”

Since photographing the birth of baby Phoebe, I have photographed the family on a few different occasions; a newborn photo session, an update of the children a couple of years later, and most recently, their doorstep photo in the first lockdown of 2020.

It was such a beautiful experience as my first birth to photograph. It also helped me to feel accomplished with the birth of my own babies, knowing that birth can be so different when armed with research and knowledge of choice.

I catch up with Helen every so often, and she regularly expresses such gratitude for the images that were captured of her baby girl’s home birth. I was only too grateful myself to be given the opportunity to capture such a special time for the family.

A final word from Helen, talking about her experience having a birth photographer at the birth of her second child:

“She is my last baby and this was my perfect birth; everything I wanted and more. I can honestly say it was the single most empowering thing I have done in my life. I made sure this time that I surrounded myself with positive people that were going to help me on this journey. I look back at the beautiful photos that Kelly took at the birth with a big smile. Being able to play back the experience gave me a new appreciation for what my body has achieved”

Email me to chat about your own birth plans. I would love to photograph the arrival of your baby, whether that is a home birth or hospital birth.

Let’s chat about birth!

I will be sharing another birth with you soon. It is something so close to my heart. Birthing a baby is not easy, but what a birthing body is able to do is incredible, and I love capturing an act that I consider so beautiful. See you in the next one!

Month: June 2021

Birth photography series – hospital birth – Aylesbury baby photographer