At Home Birth Session Photography
How to Prepare for At-Home Birth Session
At-home birth sessions have become increasingly common over the last decade, and for good reason. Today we have the gift of medical knowledge that allows us to safely have children in the sanctuary of our own dwelling space, surrounded by people we treasure, and without the medicinal, technical, “cold” quality that hospitals sometimes inject into this very special day.
If you’ve decided to have an at-home birth and are considering hiring a photographer to capture your delivery on camera, you may not be exactly sure of what to expect. No worries — this is something we do all the time here at Jill Matthews Photography, and we’ve laid out all the main details below.
Book The Session
About three to five months before your due date, you’ll want to officially book your session with us. The earlier the better, but we know that’s not always feasible. At the time of booking, you’ll sign a contract and pay a 25% deposit. The remainder will be due [time] before your due date.
Communicate Your Wants and Needs
We’ll already have spoken a lot by the time you book, but we’ll want to make sure we go over all the details before your due date. For example: What images do you want? Are there certain images you want us to refrain from taking? How many hours would you like us to be there? Are there certain people who will be present that you want us to make sure we include?
Call Us The Second You Go Into Labor
We’re essentially on call for you two weeks before your due date and two weeks after (this is flexible, of course, but the general time frame). When you go into labor, notify us immediately along with others, like your doctor, partner, and family. At a moment’s notice, we’ll be available and will head straight to your home.
Don’t Worry About The Camera
You probably won’t be thinking about the camera being there, but just in case, try not to think about it. The images taken during at-home birthing sessions are candid/journalistic, and we do a pretty good job of remaining covert, but attentive, while you experience the beauty of delivery a child. After your baby is born, we’ll take a few additional images to capture those presence “first moments” and then will leave so you can continue enjoying this time together as a family.
If you have any more questions, don’t hesitate to reach out via email or phone to ask. We’re here to help you.