“Believers, look up – take courage. The angels are nearer than you think.”
Billy Graham
You are about to meet Svenja and Jason, and witness one of the happiest days of their lives.
I met these two amazing souls on the darkest, most umimaginable day of their lives. I was called to a Heartfelt session in January 2015 to photograph a beautiful little baby girl. A little girl who had never taken her first breath. That afternoon I photographed Svenja, Jason, and their stillborn daughter, Luna.
As sometimes happens when you meet people in the most raw moments, we kept in touch, became friends. You understand a part of them that many people don’t, or cant, and there is a comfort in that.
After not long Svenja was pregnant again, growing a new life- a life that would provide the ultimate test of her faith. Her faith in her body, in birth, and in life itself.
Being asked to photograph the arrival of this little soul was an honour i didn’t need to think twice about. To witness this birth and watch the journey that this beautiful couple went through to bring their rainbow baby boy earthside is something i will never forget. Every birth requires parents to dig deep into themselves, to find strength, courage they may not have known existed.
The depth of this journey at times, i’m sure, felt bottomless. But surrounded by an incredible team of experienced midwives who held the space for Svenja and Jason to go where they needed to go, little Arlo found his way out into the world, straight into his daddy’s hands. Never has a baby’s first cry meant quite so much.
I thank my beautiful friends and clients for their willingness to share this story… and i hope it helps to show some other families who may be in the depths of their pain, that sometimes, rainbows really do come true.
A gorgeous family, at home on a chilly Sunday evening. Their birth team trickle in as it becomes apparent this babe is on it’s way. Mum attempts to put her scrumptious toddler to bed, knowing it is the last bedtime he will be an only child, but of course he knows there is something happening and there is no way he is sleeping. But that’s ok, a close family friend is there to give him all the attention he needs. Quite simply, that involves cars, driving meticulously on any available surface. She is up to the job.
The pool is filled, heartrates checked. Labour takes more and more of her focus, and as she slips into the warm water the room draws quiet. She is calm, she is working hard. And she is ok. Her lover takes care of her with massage, water and tenderness.
We wait.
Then, late in the evening, her labour changes. We are all roused from our slightly sleepy state that is often induced when in the presence of a calm, labouring woman. The babe is closer.
A couple of magnificent, involuntary howls from mum tell of the immanent arrival… dad gets ready to catch his second born while the midwife, calm and quiet, is there in case he needs a hand.
He doesn’t.
A beautiful baby girl swims out into her fathers hands and through his tears he lifts her onto her mothers chest.
“A girl. We got a girl!”
Kisses. Tears. Cars get put down, briefly, so brother can meet his sister.
A beer is cracked, cuddles are had, phone calls made, more tears are shed.
This, is homebirth.
~You can have a squiz at this family’s pregnancy photos here~
~The beautiful midwife from this birth can be found here~
