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March 28, 2019

Everest James’ Arrival | Durham Birth Photographer

Radhika and I met a few years ago at a photography meet-up and over the years our friendship has grown into daily (if not hourly) text conversations obsessing over baby wearing and photographing our little ones on film. Somewhere in the middle, I had the honor of photographing the birth of their sweet baby, Everest. I was one of the first people Radhika texted when she took the pregnancy test, we plotted a way to get Ian’s reaction to the news on camera, and I even held her hand as her baby was born (one of my favorite moments of all time). I love this sweet little family so much and I’m excited to share this story with you all!

Early Labor

Back in July, I was down at the beach visiting my dad when I got a text from Radhika. “LAUREN.” is all it said. I responded immediately, of course, and she replied telling me that her water had just broken. At 38 weeks. We were so shocked! I quickly made the decision to drive back to Raleigh that night so I could be closer to the hospital when she was ready for me to come.

Early the next morning, I got a text from Ian saying I should head over. The butterflies in my stomach were epic as I drove to the hospital. Radhika and Ian had planned for an unmedicated birth and I was so excited to be on their support team, along with their doula, Joanne.

I slowly walked into their room to find dim lights, music playing, and essential oils diffusing – it was quiet and peaceful. When I’m hired to photograph a birth, I send out a quick questionnaire and one of the questions is “Describe your ideal birth atmosphere in three words.” I love looking back at those words to see if that’s how their birth experience felt. Radhika’s words were “supportive, peaceful, and low-pressure.” Yep – that’s exactly how her birth went.

Active Labor

Radhika had been up most of the night working through contractions and was clearly exhausted by the time I arrived. Joanne and Ian were supporting her and trying to find positions and tools to help her through each contraction. They tried the TENS unit, massage, laboring in the tub – nothing was quite helping. Radhika started asking me questions about birthing with an epidural versus without – I answered her honestly, but also took note in the back of my mind that when talk of pain meds comes up, it usually means baby is getting close! Eventually Radhika opted for IV pain medication so she could rest for a while – we all agreed this was a great decision since she’d been up all night.

After a while, the IV medication started to wear off and Radhika’s midwife suggested trying to labor on the toilet – many times this position signals your body to open up and can get you closer to the pushing phase. She, Ian, and their midwife went into the bathroom and I was asked to not take photos while she was in there. Her incredible midwife stayed with her in the bathroom for at least an hour.

**Let me just take a minute to acknowledge that level of care. You aren’t going to find that in just any care provider. The midwives at Regional Midwifery in Durham went above and beyond for Radhika. They talked her through each and every decision, they held her hand, they literally stood in the bathroom for an hour working through contractions with her. I love midwifery care and this is exactly what it looks like. Don’t settle when choosing who will be helping you birth your baby, mommas! Read more about choosing a care provider HERE.

Now back to the story. After a while in the bathroom, Radhika communicated that she wanted to get an epidural. Before that could happen, she would need IV fluids, then she’d have to sit still on the bed for the epidural to be placed. So they started the process. I remember talking to Joanne about how we felt that Radhika was making “pushing” sounds from the bathroom and we were surprised that she wasn’t ready to push. But we packed up our things (usually everyone except for the mom’s partner is asked to leave the room while an epidural is being placed) and made our way out of the room.

I headed down to the parking lot to pump (little Rory was only 4 months old at the time so pumping often was necessary for me.) As soon as I had everything hooked up and turned on my pump, I got a text from Ian: “Come on back.” I remember wondering if he meant to take my time but I could head that way or if it was urgent for me to get back. I didn’t want to take the chance so I unplugged the pump and practically ran back up to the L&D floor.

Second Stage (Pushing)

I walked back into the room to find that Radhika was pushing. It turns out that when she was asked to sit for her epidural, she told them she couldn’t because baby was RIGHT THERE. And this was my favorite moment: Radhika asked if I minded sitting behind her and holding her hand so Ian could see the birth of their baby. Of course I said yes (I’m a doula at heart) and watched as she gave birth to the most beautiful little one after only 15 minutes of pushing!

The above image is definitely not the most technically correct photograph, but it’s in my top five favorite birth photos I’ve ever taken. That’s my hand in the lower left corner, holding a dear friend’s hand as she welcomed her first baby into the world. Is there any greater honor? I’ll never forget this moment.

She did it! Her baby was here! Now it was time to see if they had a son or a daughter. Ian peeked under the blanket to find that they had a BOY! Little Everest was here and perfect and it was the best surprise!

Everest James | 6 lbs 8 oz | 19.5 inches

Being welcomed into someone’s birthing space is an honor. Being welcomed into a friend’s birthing space is even more of an honor. Being welcomed into a friend who is also a photographer’s birthing space AND holding her hand while she gives birth to her baby? I can’t imagine a higher honor as a birth photographer. Radhika and Ian, I hope you know how happy and grateful I am to have been there to capture Everest’s birth. He is absolutely perfect and you are two of the most incredible parents I’ve ever met. I love seeing you grow in your new roles as parents! If you’d like to read Everest’s birth story from Radhika & Ian’s perspective, head over to their blog HERE.

If you’d like to see more birth stories, click HERE. If you’d like to contact me about photographing the birth of your baby, click HERE.

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