Giving birth to a child in the comfort of home, surrounded by loved ones can make for an unforgettable experience. Abbey is a Maryland mom who made this decision more than once (she and her husband welcomed both their daughters at home) and was eager to do the same with her son on the way. Little did Mom know that her home birth, and the images a local photographer took, would showcase the miracle of childbirth in such an incredible way.
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Lindsey Welch, a trained duola and owner of Lindsey Welch Photography, captured Abbey's home birth photos — including an amazing photo of baby Nash nursing just above the placenta, the very lifeline that once united the pair. These photos show the raw power and connection between mother and child, not to mention the intimate journey of giving birth at home. The imagery of this water birth touched our hearts and, no doubt, changed the lives of Abbey and her family forever. After all, it's the day her family of 4 became a family of 5.
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These photos of Abbey's home birth are mesmerizing and show raw emotion. Anyone considering giving birth at home will definitely want to take a look.
Holiday (Water) Break
Abbey experienced a couple days of prelabor that resulted in a spurt of contractions. It wasn't until Mom and her family finished decorating their Christmas tree that Abbey's water broke. Talk about Christmas coming early!
Surrounded by Light & Love
Moms might have to endure the emotional and physical demands of childbirth, but that doesn't mean there isn't a community of love and support to help them along the way. Abbey's husband, a certified nurse midwife, along with an assistant midwife — who happens to be a dear friend of Abbey — were with Mom every step. Abbey's mother-in-law was also present to look after mom's sleeping daughters.
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Going Through the Motions
Childbirth can be excruciating, uncomfortable, and everything in between. Yet, through it all, a laboring mother will find ways to manage the pain of giving birth and stay focused on what's to come. "…The power that women exude during childbirth is like nothing else you ever experienced," Lindsey tells CafeMom.
Finding Inner Strength
"Labor and birth are so focused and intense. Mom doesn't [often] have a great memory of how things unfolded," Welch adds. Every mother who has ever endured the ebbs and flows of childbirth can relate to this photo.
Laughing Through the Pain
"[Abbey] showed so much love, humor, and inner strength during Nash's birth," Lindsey tells CafeMom. "I was so honored to be a part of it all!"
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The Magic of Water Births
There's a reason why some expectant mothers opt to experience childbirth in the water. Water births are extremely soothing and give Mom the calm she needs to labor on. And as Lindsey tells CafeMom, "Water births ROCK. If you have the chance to labor in a birth pool or tub, do!"
Baby Makes Five!
After three hours of labor, baby Nash was born a little after midnight on a frosty Monday morning. Awesome job, Mom!
Light at the End of the Tunnel
Abbey and her husband exchange smiles and a moment of gratitude as Mom holds their sweet bundle of joy. Y'all did it!
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Mom, Baby & Placenta
Since sharing this breathtaking photo of Abbey breastfeeding her baby above the placenta, Lindsey has received a ton of feedback. "I knew when I took [this] photograph that it was something special, but I honestly didn't expect to get the amount of interest that it did!" she tells CafeMom. "We had both seen images of the placenta on the mom's belly — so we decided to give it a go and see how it looked …. It never occurred to me that people would be so enchanted," she adds.
The Miracle of Birth
"Every baby that comes into this world is special, and every baby that I witness being born captures a piece of my heart," Welch says to CafeMom. "As a mother myself, I love to see the beauty of birth."
Delayed Cord Clamping
"Abbey had always planned to keep the placenta and cord attached until the placenta had been delivered," Welch reveals to CafeMom. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) released new guidelines that support delayed cord clamping for a variety of health reasons. "Babies deserve to have all of the blood from their placentas, so please talk to your providers about delayed cord clamping. It's so beneficial to the babies in so many ways," mentions Welch.
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Bearing Witness
'I [felt] incredibly honored to be trusted to capture those first moments of a family bringing a new life into the world," Lindsey reveals to CafeMom. "Birth photography is so different [than] the other work that I do. You capture real [and] raw emotion, the quiet moments, the birth, the postpartum happiness, and [the] glow," she adds."
Creating a Lifetime of Memories
One can only imagine the range of emotions this family — including Abbey's two daughters — felt when little Nash was born. Thanks to Lindsey's photos, Abbey and her loved ones can relive all of these touching moments. "As a photographer, I feel incredibly lucky to be a part of these families' lives," Welch says to CafeMom. "My job as the photographer is to be the storyteller; to remind the family of how the events unfolded, and to give them the memories that last a lifetime."
