WakeMed Birth Photography

Leslie and I met last year when she hired me to photograph her adorable little family of three. At the time, she and Aaron were thinking about expanding their family – it was all so exciting. A little over a year later, their long-awaited baby girl arrived. I was honored to be there to capture their story to becoming a family of four!

Their story began with a decision by Leslie’s doctor to induce early to avoid any of the pre-eclampsia symptoms she experienced with her first pregnancy. She was already dilated to 4cm and the induction was scheduled for the morning of May 9th. That is, until there was a miscommunication at the hospital and they had to move it back to that evening. But, the timing worked out perfectly because my AMAZING sister was able to watch Finn so I could be there for Leslie!

So, at 8:30pm on May 9th, the doctor inserted a foley bulb to help get the process started. We knew it would be a long process so I went to bed knowing that they planned to start Pitocin around 4am. I was so excited that I woke up early to text Leslie and asked about her progress. At 6am she had dilated to 5cm and they were cranking up the Pitocin to get things moving.

After a couple hours, I was getting antsy so I sent a quick text. At 8am they broke her water and the nurse made her prediction: baby girl Perkins would be here by lunch time. I got ready, headed to the hospital, and arrived around 9:15am.

Film Processing: The FIND Lab

Leslie was sitting on the birth ball, talking and laughing in between contractions. It was so great to see her excitement! I was happy that I’d arrived in time to catch up with her before contractions got to strong to “chat”. With each surge, she would quietly close her eyes and concentrate on getting through the pain. It’s so amazing to watch a woman in labor – beautiful, empowering, awe-inspiring.

At around 9:45am, Leslie decided that she wasn’t able to cope with the contractions while sitting on the ball or standing. Her back labor was getting bad so her nurse suggested getting on hands and knees on the bed. Her husband, Aaron, and her nurse put counter pressure on her back during the contractions to help ease the pain. While it’s difficult to see someone in pain, it’s such an honor to get to witness the excitement as the contractions get stronger and you know baby is almost here!

These photos are some of my favorites. Leslie was at the point where she needed her husband’s sweet and supportive arms around her. Nobody could do this for her and just feeling his hand on her helped her get through the next few surges.

Around 10:30am, she decided to try getting an IV of Fentanyl to take the edge off and let her rest a bit so she could dilate. At that point, I decided to take a quick coffee break and give them some space to labor.

When I returned to the room around 11am, it was obvious that Leslie was close to or in transition. She wasn’t coping with the contractions as well as before and she was starting to ask about an epidural. At about 11:30am, after a few “are you sure?”s from her family, we could tell it was what she needed so we left the room to allow the anesthesiologist to do their job.

Big brother, Isaiah, was happy to sit and color and hang out with his grandparents while he waited for his sister to arrive!

When we got back to the labor room, Leslie was checked for dilation. She’d reached 7cm and was still struggling with each contraction. It seems that epidural was not doing it’s job and Leslie could still feel every surge.

As she worked through these intense contractions, Aaron began to pray and we all spoke comforting words and reminded her that her sweet baby girl was SO close to being in her arms!

At about 12:15pm Leslie tells her nurse that she’s having an urge to push. The nurse tells her to try and hold off but she can’t fight it any longer. The nurse checks her and calls the doctor – she is complete! Only minutes after being 7cm, she was ready to push! The epidural was exactly what her body needed to relax and move that baby down!

After only EIGHT minutes of pushing, little Giuliana made her debut. The doctor had arrived just in time to catch her! Absolutely amazing!

The photo below brings tears to my eyes every time. Aaron was praising the Lord for his healthy baby girl! I love that even in this incredibly intense moment, he is praising God from whom all blessings flow.

Oh my heart! These sweet parents are so in love with their new daughter – they can’t stop staring! Giuliana, you are so loved.

Leslie and Aaron are both blonde, so she couldn’t believe all the DARK hair on her baby girl’s head!

Giuliana Elizabeth Ann Perkins

Born May 10, 2016

7 pounds | 13 ounces | 20.5 inches

If you’re looking for a Winston Salem birth photographer, I’d love to talk to you about how I can serve you and your family during such an incredible time. Birth photography is so special. I would recommend it to anyone having a baby – whether it’s your first, second, or twelfth.

To see more birth stories, click here.

For more information about hiring me to capture your birth, click here.