All information has been written in collaboration with and reviewed by the birthing person.
All stories and images are shared with verbal and/or written consent from the subjects.
I’ve known Sydney for a long time. I’ve been photographing her family and her girls for years. I’ve been in their life long before birth plans and birth stories. Back when I was sewing full time, she was one of the people repping my work and cheering me on. She called me for every milestone, not to just sew up an outfit, but to photograph them as well. Though this would be the first birth of hers that I would document. When I found out on Christmas 2024 that she was pregnant again, it just made sense that I would be the one to document the miracle. She was never just a client, she was a friend and I was honored to be there next to her through it all.
From the very beginning, Sydney was intentional. We put together a full package from announcement to maternity and birth, rounding out with the fresh 48 and newborn sessions. It’s the most popular bundle for a reason. Sydney wanted the whole story told, not just the end of it.
We started talking about her announcement photos right away and decided to wait until she found out the gender so that it could also be a gender reveal session. On February 23rd, in the freezing cold, we went to Shawnee Lake and photographed her announcement. It was simple, but meaningful. She had a vision for this session, which was that same intentionality that followed her through the rest of her pregnancy.
We also started talking about her birth plans early on. Sydney was very open about not being happy with her previous, traumatic birth experience. She knew early on that she wanted things to be different this time. Her last delivery had been very hard. Dylon, her partner was not allowed in the room during the spinal and they started the surgery before he was even in the room, and she didn’t have a photographer. She felt like she had lost some critical moments and memories and she knew from the beginning that she didn’t want to repeat that.
Her pregnancy was high risk. Her last pregnancy had ended early, and her baby spent a long time in the NICU. That experience was traumatic, and it shaped how she approached every aspect of this pregnancy. At 16 weeks, Sydney had a fall that scared her. Though she was okay, she continued on with more anxiety. Throughout her pregnancy, she measured very far ahead. At one point the gap was almost 7 weeks, which meant extra appointments and extra monitoring. There were a lot of conversations, a lot of check ins, and a lot of anxiety.
After her baby came home from the NICU, she came over to my house for an impromptu newborn session in my living room.
At the same time, advocacy became a huge part of her story. We talked a lot about it. This is usually the number 1 reason that clients choose me when looking for a birth photographer. Sydney knew from early on that the two most important things to her were having myself and Dylon with her the entire time. She wanted confidence that out of everything that could change throughout her experience, the one constant she could rely on would be that we would not leave her side. She was told that only one person would be allowed and not for the spinal, but it was not a policy. It was not a law. That was just a preference. She practiced advocating for herself over and over to anyone who she encountered.
This all lined up with my own season too. I was still very early in my doula education during this pregnancy, and advocacy was what I was focusing on most throughout 2025. We practiced language. We talked through scenarios. I reminded her that she deserved support and that she shouldn’t have to fight for it alone. She deserved to be in the driver’s seat of her birth experience.
There were joyful moments all throughout her pregnancy as well. In March, we did glitter & sprinkle minis with her daughter Saylor, and they were adorable. Around that same time, we started talking more about maternity photos. Sydney was still measuring ahead and attending extra appointments, but she wanted photos that showcased the joy and radiance of her pregnancy and family. She didn’t want to let her fear or anxiety interfere with her maternity session.
On May 21st, after a lot of outfit planning, we did her maternity session at Ward Meade Park. She had two dresses planned. The first was a green dress that she brought and then later wore at her fresh 48. The second was a gorgeous floral gown that we borrowed from my good friend at Kaylee Nicole Photography. At this time, I was not using off camera flash yet, so we really leaned into movement, candid moments, and then more dramatic posing with the natural light. The images turned out soft, but powerful, and honestly felt like her. Sydney is soft, but absolutely powerful.
As summer went on, anxiety reared its ugly head. On June 8th, Sydney went to the ER for dizziness and swelling. Preeclampsia was ruled out, but that didn’t rule out her fear of it. She went home and for a month did her best to stay calm, and find those joyful moments that existed between her pregnancy and 3 girls at home. On July 9th, her blood pressure was elevated at an OB appointment, which meant more labs, and more fear. Everything eventually returned to normal, and again she went home.
Only July 19th, she was back in L&D for swelling and dizziness. She felt weak and sore, and this time felt especially draining. I let her know that if she needed me, I would be there. While she was there, she again made sure every staff member knew that if she moved to the OR to deliver her baby, that her photographer would be there. She made sure to advocate for this, just in case her regular OB, who she trusted to prioritize her wishes, was absent on the day she delivered. Her nurse on this day was one that I had worked with often, who is so kind and truly listens to her patients. Sydney felt the same. She was okay. She went home.
Three days later, Sydney was back again. Her blood pressure was up, and Indy’s heart rate was in the 180’s. She was 36 weeks, 6 days pregnant. Sydney said that it really felt like this might be the day. She once again made sure it was documented that her partner and her photographer would be present for the spinal and surgery. The hope at that point was that her body could handle on more day, because Sydney was afraid Indy would need the NICU. It was really important to her that Indy would not need the NICU and could bake just a little longer.
Her blood pressure lowered, labs came back okay, and she went home with a 24 hour urine sample. That was also when she decided to fully write out her birth plan for her 4th C Section. Her priority was clear. She wanted a safe and empowering cesarean birth with informed consent, compassionate care, and emotional support every step of the way. She wanted her providers to advocate alongside her so that she wouldn’t be the only one fighting for her wishes. Aside from photography and her partner, she wanted a clear drape, immediate skin to skin, a quiet environment, and everyone around her to be intentional about her emotional experience, not just her physical experience.
The next day her urine sample came back normal and her blood pressure stayed steady. Even so, those last few weeks leading up to her scheduled cesarean were filled with nerves. Trauma from her last delivery was lingering and she continued visiting her OB office and L&D several times. Yet, somehow in the middle of it all, she still showed up to my twins’ birthday party, because not only is she just as invested in our friendship, but she is also so incredibly strong amidst her struggle. It is who she is.
Her C Section was scheduled for August 6th. That morning, Sydney let me know when she arrived and when they started her IV. Birth plan conversations started right away. Surgery was scheduled for noon. I walked in not to long after she arrived and got checked in. Then came the waiting.
Her surgery was delayed multiple times. She started to feel uncomfortable and began having intense lower back pain. The waiting was stressful and her anxiety continued to build up. Through it all her anesthesiologist and OB reassured her that everything would be okay and that her birth plan would be honored. Anesthesia told her “I don’t care who is in there, it’s your birth, not mine.”
When it was finally time, they brought her back for the spinal. Dylan was able to stand with her and hold her, supporting her through this moment, and in a way giving her back a small piece that felt like it was missing. Only a few feet away, I was also this small, but incredibly important and healing moment for her. After the spinal was placed and they were ready to start the surgery, Sydney decided that she would like music. She hadn’t prepared a playlist and began to panic. I quickly pulled up a Christian worship playlist and it grounded her, bringing some calm into the room.
As surgery began, Dylon stayed by her side, keeping her calm, talking her through what was happening, and making sure she knew that everything was okay.
When they dropped to the clear drape for her, her OB held up Indy, and Sydney saw her daughter for the first time. She heard her cry. It was a sound that reminded her in that moment that she was a mother all over again.
At one point, after sweet Indy was born, he had to step away to be with her and Sydney became extremely anxious and uncomfortable. That is when I came and sat next to her, held her hand, and told her everything was going great. That moment meant a lot to her, she later shared with me. Dylon placed Indy on her chest, and Sydney held her for the first time. This was a moment that she would never forget and always cherish.
While they finished Sydney's C Section, Dylon held Indy right next to her. I captured their first looks and their first moments together.
There was a moment during her surgery where Dylan needed to set Indy down to support Sydney fully. She covered her eyes and held his hand, clinging to his safety. Indy sat close by, happy and chunky as could be.
Finally, Sydney felt comfortable enough to really hold Indy and absorb her in. The nurses wrapped her up in a swaddle, put the sweetest bow hat on her, and together Sydney and Dylon held Indy.
After the surgery, still tired and sore, Sydney began to nurse her baby for the first time. She latched right away.
The next day, I came back for her Fresh 48 session. It was the first time that I tried using off camera flash in the hospital for a fresh 48, and Sydney loved the results. The ambiance and orange glow of the lamp was beautiful.
A few days after that she came in for a newborn session. We set up several scenes for baby Indy and Sydney brought a handful of outfits for her. Handmade clothing is something that Sydney especially loves. She brought several pieces to include in the session. Indy was also WIDE awake for her session, especially with her 3 big sisters "assisting" me. We got to capture her personality, but still did squeeze in a few sleepy images.
Seeing her completed gallery for the first time left her overwhelmed with joy and happiness. It was exactly what she wanted her entire pregnancy. Afterwards, we talked about how birth had changed her. It changed how she sees her body and her appearance, but it also showed her how much her body can handle. It made her a stronger woman. It helped her recognize the strength she already had.
Sydney shared with me this, “I hope that my birth experiences encourages others to speak up about who is allowed in their cesarean. I want people to understand that not everyone gets to experience pregnancy and birth, and that it shouldn’t be taken for granted.” I wanted to add as a photographer that you should not be denied the preservation of your experience simply because you have to have a cesarean birth. Whether you delivery vaginally or through a belly birth, your experience deserves to photographed if you wish and preserved in a way that you can cherish forever.
Because I knew in advance that Sydney wished for her story to be shouted from the rooftops, I asked her if there is anything she would like Indy to read one day in her birth story. She replied “Thank you for choosing me” Then she told me to future families reading this, “Get the birth photographer. Having you always available to talk to made it easier. I felt more confident and at peace when you were there to witness and prioritize my story and voice.”
