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…: welcome, baby Alan :… OHSU birth photographer, Portland OR

January 13, 2012 39 Comments

I met Helene for the first time when she was around 38 weeks pregnant. In a coffee shop in downtown Portland, towards the end of the first time I met Helene, I remember asking her: “Do you believe in your heart you are going to go home with a baby?”  To which she responded: “No.”

Unsure of how I should even begin to tell this story, I went hunting through Helene and I’s email conversations prior to her delivery, dating back some months.  I could wax on and on about loss and the slow journey back to hope and everything in between. But once again, I will probably do better telling the story with photos.  I am taking a snippet of an email to shed some light on the situation:

“After we lost our baby, Jaime and I went into hibernation mode.   We felt like such outcasts.  So many people didnt know what to say, and most said they have never heard of a second trimester loss before.  It tore me to pieces each and every day.   While the pain is still there and with me, I have learned that I did NOTHING wrong.   And we did love our baby very, very much.   And sadly being open about our journey with infertility and then a second trimester loss I have learned how not alone I am.   It breaks my heart to learn that others have gone through the same pain I have, but I also have found comfort in knowing I am not alone.   It is hard emotionally being pregnant again, but I cant wait to finally hold a living child in my arms. ”

As Helene neared the middle/end of her second trimester, she had still not felt her baby move. No kicks, no jolts, nothing.  Concerned, Helene and Jamie began the routine ultrasounds at OHSU that would be a weekly third trimester treat…to see the baby she could not feel growing inside her.  It seems baby was squirming around in there just fine, but Helene couldn’t feel it.   This led to a bet between her husband/wife, ob-perinatology team.  It really seemed like Helene just couldn’t feel her uterus. Would this mean she couldn’t feel contractions or labor? Worried that she may be well into labor without feeling anything, at the very end of her pregnancy, Helene, Jamie and their doctors decided to just make Oregon Health Sciences University their home until baby, (a surprise!) made his or her entrance.

The first time I went up the hill to OHSU to see Jamie and Helene, contractions were still not regular and but after a few rounds of misoprostol, things slowly began to happen.  I sat in a chair off to the side after a doctor came and said more miso wasn’t really an option and they would like to introduce Pitocin.  Sticking to her original birth plan of an unmedicated birth, Helene refused and asked to please try some other methods.  She seemed so completely void of pain, I thought for sure things weren’t progressing.  Describing “tingling, spasm-y” sensations in her lower back and that alone at 5cm, I started to realize maybe Helene really would have a painless birth.   Helene’s Doc who had seen her through everything they’d endured went home to eat dinner.

Fast forward to the next “check”…Moving right along and still basically painless.  Not comfortable of course, bit of back labor. But nothing like the Mack-trucks-driving-opposite-directions feeling that I remembered from my own labor.   Suddenly, Helene is ready to push and no one seems quite ready for it. The doctor is nowhere to be found, and another is pulled from the hallway to help the nurses deliver.

During the beginning of the pushing process, Helene looked at the unfamiliar doctor and said “is it too late for an epidural?” (completely joking, yes folks, I just said an unmedicated woman in the throes of pushing her first child out cracked a joke.)  He at first looked dumbfounded and then proceeded to explain why, well, it was a bit late for that, as Helene and the other staff laughed.  It was the first of many mid-push jests. Some of which included asking for more grape popsicles and commenting (like the below photo) that “it’s not as bad as I thought it’d be”.  Uh, yeah. Guess not! LOL!

Still no beloved Doctor to be found,  Alan made his way into the world to parents who had been waiting for him a very, very long time.

 

Don’t get me wrong, all births are emotional. I cry (not like, sobbing, but ya know, a tear or two for sure) at every birth I shoot. Just with happiness for the new family, for the miracle of life, at the thought of all the joyful things new parents will soon experience.  But this one, I don’t think I did. I was more like silent in complete awe.

 

xoxoxo

Thank you Helene and Jamie for letting me take part in your joy.  I hope you treasure these photos for many years to come…

 

Next up, Alan’s newborn photos 🙂

 

 

Birth, Maternity, Photography

Erin

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Caty says

    January 13, 2012 at 2:42 am

    I definitely cried, not only at the story, but lost it looking at the photographs. What an AMAZING moment!! Thank you so much for sharing this!!!

    Reply
  2. Jessica says

    January 13, 2012 at 2:42 am

    What a touching and beautiful birth story! Babies are such blessings. I love the black and white one where mom is looking up and dad has his hand at her face. Very special moment captured!

    Reply
  3. Liz says

    January 13, 2012 at 2:42 am

    oh my. Beautiful words and even more beautiful pictures. Just gorgeous!!

    Reply
  4. Katie says

    January 13, 2012 at 2:44 am

    What a wonderful story! I give all my clients a heads up that I will be crying with them at their birth. It’s the most rewarding, fulfilling job a person could ask for. 🙂

    Reply
  5. Lisa says

    January 13, 2012 at 3:02 am

    So beautiful. Look at those big eyes! Amazing work Erin.

    Reply
  6. Leah cook says

    January 13, 2012 at 3:10 am

    just amazing. all of it.

    Reply
  7. Anna L says

    January 13, 2012 at 3:11 am

    Gave me goosebumps! So beautiful!

    Reply
  8. Bess says

    January 13, 2012 at 3:13 am

    Awe Erin, I have no words, except, you are the best. Love the intro, love the pictures, love you.

    Reply
  9. Teran says

    January 13, 2012 at 3:24 am

    I read this with tears! Absolutely beautiful. You have just provided them with amazing pictures to share and remember the happiest day of their life by! Beautiful.

    Reply
  10. Amber Wood says

    January 13, 2012 at 3:34 am

    i had to take a break from reading, i was sobbing so much! i can’t wait to come back and read more, the photos are gorgeous and really tell such an emotional story. i LOVE birth photography!

    Reply
  11. Gloria says

    January 13, 2012 at 4:15 am

    Erin, what amazing talent you possess. These pictures are absolutely breathtaking. You have a gift lady 🙂

    Thanks for sharing your clients story.

    -Gloria

    Reply
  12. Chris Rupert says

    January 13, 2012 at 4:50 am

    So incredible!!! Totally balled my eyes out, you are amazing Erin!

    Reply
  13. Eryn says

    January 13, 2012 at 5:52 am

    SO beautiful! I love it!

    Reply
  14. Eve says

    January 13, 2012 at 6:18 am

    These are just stunning and I love!!! Birth photos are truelly the most amazing photos ever!!!

    Reply
  15. Mary-Anne says

    January 13, 2012 at 1:07 pm

    These are beautiful images. You have a very special gift. I’m happy that these parents were able to connect with you. You’ve captured something that they probably never thought that they’d never experience. Congratulations to the new parents!

    Reply
  16. Julia says

    January 13, 2012 at 1:27 pm

    I don’t know what to say Erin, other than that your birth photography continues to bring my heart to a whole new level of happiness.

    Reply
  17. melody says

    January 13, 2012 at 1:29 pm

    These pictures as well as the story are just amazing….

    Such a wide eye baby….so ready to see his parents! Love them all Erin…..

    Reply
  18. Dena says

    January 13, 2012 at 6:28 pm

    What beautiful story!

    Reply
  19. Katrina says

    January 13, 2012 at 7:23 pm

    Oh my goodness. This brought tears to my eyes. Perfect!

    Reply
  20. Lucy says

    January 13, 2012 at 7:25 pm

    Beautiful story and amazing photos! Still crying at it all! Just amazing!

    Reply
  21. Sarah Freel says

    January 13, 2012 at 7:46 pm

    The absolute best birth story I have ever seen. You captured it all! Love!

    Reply
  22. Laura A says

    January 13, 2012 at 8:22 pm

    Beautiful work! They will treasure those photos forever!

    Reply
  23. Sarah D. says

    January 13, 2012 at 9:22 pm

    Gorgeous, absolutely breathtaking photos!

    Reply
  24. Becky says

    January 14, 2012 at 12:56 am

    These are beautiful! Love them!

    Reply
  25. Katie W says

    January 14, 2012 at 1:32 am

    Thank you for sharing a beautiful story! These images will be cherished forever!

    Reply
  26. Vanessa Tachenko says

    January 14, 2012 at 2:34 am

    Thank you for sharing Erin! <3

    Reply
  27. Faren says

    January 14, 2012 at 6:20 am

    I’m in awe of the beauty your pictures bring. I love every single one.

    Reply
  28. Hélène says

    January 14, 2012 at 2:49 pm

    These made me cry! Amazing.
    Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  29. Lila says

    January 14, 2012 at 4:04 pm

    LOVE this story, LOVE these images – love it all. Fabulous work!!

    Reply
  30. Kim Kravitz says

    January 14, 2012 at 5:02 pm

    Oh wow! What an amazing session!!

    Reply
  31. Amanda says

    January 14, 2012 at 5:20 pm

    What a gift you have given those parents. I wish all expecting parents knew how much they would cherish photos like these way more than their weddings photos!

    Reply
  32. Jo {BluElla} says

    January 16, 2012 at 5:36 am

    Oh my. This was like watching a silent film. So amazingly captured it brought tears to my eyes. Simply breathtaking.

    Reply
  33. Lisa (Tout Petit Pixel) says

    January 16, 2012 at 8:25 am

    What a beautiful story… I love the fact that you were able to tell it with both words and images. Stunning work!

    Reply
  34. Michelle B says

    January 16, 2012 at 5:29 pm

    These are beautiful. They will cherish them forever. Thanks for telling the story.

    Reply
  35. Sarah C says

    January 17, 2012 at 3:07 am

    What a wonderful and emotional story! These pictures are beautiful Erin!

    Reply
  36. Nance Heidemann says

    January 17, 2012 at 4:19 am

    Wow. Wow. Wow. Amazing. You truly captured this joyful event so beautifully!

    Reply
  37. Kerri says

    January 17, 2012 at 12:40 pm

    What a beautiful story and images!

    Reply
  38. kelly garvey says

    January 20, 2012 at 4:30 pm

    very touching images. you captured it all perfectly.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. A wonderful photographer that I follow did an AMAZING JOB at this Birth- it real... | Newborn Photographer Idaho | Newborn Photographer | Baby Photography says:
    January 13, 2012 at 7:32 pm

    […] …: welcome, baby Alan :… OHSU birth photographer, Portland ORerintolephotography.comI met Helene for the first time when she was around 38 weeks pregnant. In a coffee shop in downtown Portland, towards the end of the first time I met Helene, I remember […]

    Reply

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