Three births are due just next month and so a crazy month that is going to be.
I am happy though today to share this beautiful family on the blog today. With three stunning girls, sunshine, a pond with ducks and mini bridges to boot, it made for quite the creative session!!
Enjoy
Jill xo
Well the weather has certainly been quite glorious this week in Melbourne. Friday was no exception with a warm 27 degrees predicted, oddly Melbourne did not let us down. With 5 rather stunning models dressed in an array of bright spring colours, we headed down to the Fitzroy Gardens for some fun in the sun and a delicious picnic!
The gardens are particularly lovely in Spring. The children who I had the pleasure of photographing were just divine. They all have eyes like clear pools of water and to be honest were as beautiful in person as they are in imagery.
With dashing good looks and outgoing personalities, these kids made for a superfun day and exceptional images. What a fab addition to my Spring portfolio.
Enjoy!
Jill xo
After returning from a rather fabulous birth session yesterday, I found myself reflecting on how fortunate I am to be able to do this wonderful job! Being oncall is a life consuming part of it all. Even midwives,at least generally speaking, have a roster to be able to schedule their life around. This is not the case with being a birth photographer.
I am often asked how I manage it. With four children of my own as well as currently homeschooling one of them, people will often say ” How do you do it Jill!!?”
My reply is always the same. Support. Infact, regardless of my own personal situation, I can tell you that any birth photographer will tell you the same. If you do not have a “team” of supportive people around you, then you will find it is a very difficult genre to offer as a photographer. Most of us have children, I would hazard a guess to say that MOST birth photographers have young children. Even those who may not have children, or who perhaps have children that are older and more self sufficient, will tell you that without the support from their partners at the very least, would find they would be unable to take on the amount of births that they do.
For me personally, I have an amazing husband… no seriously, AMAZING! I also have my own mum who does everything she can to be around to assist me, as well as some very willing girlfriends who are happy to help me whenever the need arises. Without these people in my life…. well, there would be NO birth photography by Spikey Hedgehog. It’s very simple!
So next time you see some beautiful moments captured by a birth photographer, please take a moment to appreciate all involved in making it possible for that photographer to attend that birth. Like the time, effort and pressure involved in the making of a sparkling diamond…. capturing these images is an amazing feat in itself!
I dedicate this post to all my fellow amazing photographers, who are putting themselves out to be able to capture such precious moments for others.
Jillxo
A couple of months ago Spikey’s Facebook page reached a milestone of 1000 likes!! ( If you have not yet “liked” Spikey Hedgehog on Facebook then I will forgive you as long as you get your butt over to https://www.facebook.com/SpikeyHedgehog1 right now and press “like”) I had a give away to celebrate and the winners were the fabulous family who I will be sharing with you today!
It was a long time coming as they won their free creative session during winter and neither party was feeling particularly interested in stepping out in the freezing cold Melbourne weather that was happening at the time! So we waited patiently and the day finally arrived on a gorgeous Spring Sunday afternoon!
This family were heaps of fun. We had a great time and I feel that by looking at the photos you get a very good idea of what easy going and lovely peeps they were! We met at one of my favourite Melbourne parks and enjoyed some giggles and sunshine!
Now… I have to warn you. These kids were GORGEOUS! Not just cute, beautiful, gorgeous…. I am talking Knockyoursocks off “Blue Steel, more to life than being really really good looking” gorgeous!! My camera loved them as I know of course that you will love them!! Even their au pair who helped the family with the kids was a stunner!
Thanks guys for being fabulous models….. I loved working with you!!
While many of us were still sleeping at dawn on Grand Final Day, my lovely VIP mum was having twinges that would soon turn into serious contractions. The day started out sunny and I received the call around 7.45am to head to the hospital. We arrived at the same time and walked in together. The jokes and banter about who was going to win and if the baby would arrive before kickoff were plenty… and they did not subside as the morning continued.
The calmness of this mum had me in awe. I have done many births now and continue to be amazed by the strength of a woman and her body.I will leave her birth story to another time but wanted to share with you all some of the latest images. I am thrilled with how their story has turned out.
My favourite part of their story was that they had not found out the gender of their baby. They had three boys already and would have been thrilled with another one. I have included the the colour image of the moment they found out they had a princess. It was a moment that included cheering and high fives all round….. such a special moment.
So here are a few teasers for you to share in the beauty of this little ones arrival. Slideshow will be up next blog I promise !
Til then…
Jill xo
The words to Carley Rae Jepsen’s “Call me Maybe” float into my dream and I realise that the phone on my night stand is ringing. I look over at the clock and it says 02:34am. I answer a croaky “Hello!” It is the call from one of the mums and she has rung to tell me her waters broke 2 hours ago and her contractions are now at 3 mins apart and that they are heading into the birth centre. It is time.
My clothes are neatly arranged at the end of my bed with my shoes, jacket and client info sheet. I sneak quietly out of the room and brush my teeth…. Cmon… I can’t go with morning breath!!
My camera bag waits at the front door, batteries, memory card and back up body all fully charged and ready to go. I head out the door. It is 02.47am. This particular mum is overdue. I have been ready every night for her for the past 11 days. The familar excitement and adrenalin fills my belly. I start the car and make my way through the quiet dark streets. There is noone on the road, I get every green light.
Twenty minutes later I arrive at the birth centre and make my way up to the birth unit. The midwives are expecting me and I quietly make my way along the corridor to the room. I lightly knock at the door and I enter in the room silently. There they are. The beaming smiles of the couple tell me everything. They are going to meet their baby today.
The next contraction starts and so I quietly make my way to the chair in the corner and wait for it to subside. This is the moment I take out my camera. A few shots are taken, the restful period before the next surge, the relaxed expression on mums face, the concerned love on dads.
We go on like this for several more hours, I carefully choose the moments to capture, the angle that flatters, whilst maintaing modesty and not interrupting the sacred moment between the two of them. Occasionally I take a walk, make myself and the dad to be a cuppa, refresh the cool towel for the mum, refill her water jug all while keeping the quiet and restful vibe that fills the room. This is not a time for talking, joking or moving around. The time is close. Soon there will be a baby.
The mums moans indicate her need to push. Dad holds her hand and strokes her head with wide eyes. He feels so helpless yet he is being an amazing support to his partner. The calming voice of the midwife tells the mum she is “complete.” She can push when she feels she is ready to. The next surge comes and mum uses every last aching bit of energy she has left to bring her baby down. This continues over and over. Finally, we can see that a baby is about to join us. Dad whispers encouragement and nervously takes a look to see his first glimpse of his child. ” They have hair sweetheart… keep going, they are nearly here” he whispers to his love. With her last remaining strength she brings her child to birth and pulls her daughter to her chest with the help of her ever supportive midwife. Tears fill the room, a baby cries and a family is born.
All of these moments are captured. The pain, the peace, the life and the tears. A new family is before me getting to know each other. Sweet, tender kisses, glistening tears and expressions of love fill the room. This is a moment I cannot explain fully. To be a spectator to this wonderful moment, to capture all of this emotive energy and love. I can only show you through the images that result from nights such as this one, why I do what I do.
I wait for just a bit to capture as many details of this first moment. It might be weighing of the baby, first breastfeed, getting dressed….. and then I leave with a quiet goodbye, congratulations and “well done.”
I get back in my car and say a grateful prayer. A baby was born safely into the arms of her parents today. I was given the privilege to attend. I look at the clock in the car, 09:12am.
I start the car and drive back home to kiss my own babies, reflecting on my own births and looking forward to attending the next birth and going through it all over again.
Jill xo
I have had this question asked of me many times? ” So, you don’t cover, um, down there… do you?”
Many of the people who ask this question have not yet seen examples of birth photography. As I have said before, it cannot be explained easily in an enticing way. Viewing the images, particular in slideshow form is the best way to explain what it is that I do.
As for how much I cover when attending a birth, I always have at least one prebirth consultation. This allows me to go over the birth plan of the mother, I highly encourage that the woman’s partner attends this session also. Quite often the partner is the one with some reservations and by attending this session I have found it very easy to reassure him/ her of what is involved. If you do not want the actual delivery captured, then I ensure that I am not down there capturing it. In the event of perhaps some medical intervention, once again my camera is placed down until that has been dealt with and then I start reshooting. This is where discretion from your chosen photographer comes in. I personally know the requests and feelings of my client well before the big day. By the time the day has arrived, I am fully aware of the individual needs of my client and do everything within my power to respect them.
In my particular case after all the births that I have captured, I have not once been asked to NOT photograph the delivery. The mother usually feels that the delivery is something she has to be very focused on at the time and so when she wants to reflect back on her experience she finds it a great way of doing that if she has these images. Obviously this is something that her and her partner want to keep for just their own reflection, but they are there if they should want them.
At the end of the day everyone is different. To me it is imperative that the needs of my clients are met to the best of my capability, we are all indivduals and by not only being aware of that, but also respecting that, then I find that everyone is happy at what can be one of the most amazing experiences of your life. Listening to your individual needs is my priority. I love what I do and my clients being happy is what makes me happy!
If you would like more information on what is involved with birth photography please don’t hesitate to contact me at info@spikeyhedgehog.com.au
I will leave you with an image of one of my most recent clients! A beautiful little princess born! This is why I do what I do! I truly believe I have the worlds best job! Til next time,
Jill xo
With an ever increasing interest in birth photography, you may have noticed how many photographers are now offering this service. Although it is still a genre in its infancy, it is becoming more and more popular. There has been a definate spike in the amount of couples wanting to have the arrival of the new baby captured, but there has also been a new wave of photographers looking to try out their hand at birth photography. How does a mother to be know what to look for when researching her photographer?
There are few factors to consider. Labour and delivery is such an intimate and special time, so being comfortable with who is going to be involved in your labour would be a priority. Meeting with your chosen photographer will enable you to work out if they have the personality that you will find suitable in your anticipated birthing environment.
Experience- Although this is a fairly new area for photography, it stands to reason that if the photographer has done this a few times,then they know how to capture your moments as well as how to handle a variety of situations that may occur during the course of your labour. It is only through experience that a photographer learns how to anticipate where they should be in the room at any given time without being in the way of the medical team…. whether that be the midwives at a homebirth or the staff at a birthing centre or hospital setting. Add to that any other qualifying points, motherhood, midwives, doulas and mothercraft nurses can also bring extra experience to the room. This is by no means a necessary to being an excellent birth photographer, but that experience certainly comes in handy when in a birth room.
By observing how your potential birth photographer handles your pre birth consultation you will get a very good idea of how they will be in the birth room. Think about what they are saying or asking you? How do you feel with that person when they are talking? Do they seem confident and calm about your birth or do they seem to have forgotten that this is a birth? These are all things to consider when researching.
Price is also always going to be a factor in your decision making. This will vary widely and it will certainly be something to consider. When you are asking for quotes, be sure to take in the photographers level of experience, and if that person seems the right fit for you. What is offered in their packages? Does that appeal to you?
Does the photographer have a backup in the event of her being unable to make it due to extreme circumstances, such as a personal family issue, or her own health not being well enough to attend your delivery. The photographer would obviously never want to put you or your brand new baby at risk by attending your delivery infectious with some nasty virus. What is the contingency plan in this case?
There are many fabulous photographers out there who specialise in this field no matter where you live. Get to know them, find the right one for you and you will have many treasured moments captured forever to enjoy.
Jill xo
Well as you may have seen already another beautiful baby was born recently and if you happened to have missed this little ones slideshow… then here it is again for you 🙂 SLIDESHOW
It was such a special birth to attend. I do love it when the couple have decided not to find out the sex of their baby beforehand! ( Personally, I have never had such self control) but let me tell you all, it makes for some winning shots!!!
I really enjoyed attending this birth, it was a true joy to be there. I have to say that Facebook was rather upset with one of my images and so promptly removed it. Which one I hear you cry?? Well I shall add that to the few I will show below!! It is the rebellious side of me, but I know how thrilled I was that R and G let me share such an image with you. Those who appreciate labour and its ebb and flow and the calm and tranquil times that are a part of this journey to birth. Enjoy! It’s my blog and I’ll show it if I want too 😉
Now the best part!! The birth story. R has written so beautifully so please know that the following text is in her words and she so kindly has shared her personal journey with us all, enjoy it, respect it and reflect on your own . I know I did!
Jill xo
Claire’s Birth
I’m not sure birth was quite what I was expecting, it does however in many ways, play out precisely in the stages you talk about during prenatal classes. A universal western frustration with first births – from what I can gather, is about ‘when to go into hospital’. They say, ‘you’ll just know’ which is frustrating – but you kind of do just know… However much you can’t prepare for birth there are things that you can do and we are extremely happy with the choices we made, including our original decision of (hoping) to have our baby at a Birth Centre rather than via the standard hospital system. Birth Centres accept non-complicated pregnancies and aim for minimal intervention re. drugs, which is essentially better for the baby – there are also some great perks such as the partner being able to stay the night nd a more ‘home-like’ environment. If you want an epidural you get moved out into the main birth suites. If you get gestational diabetes, you’re out. The pregnancy wasn’t devoid of issues – including some strange ones like low platelets and two trips to the ER but on the whole things went smoothly.
Even if we could afford private healthcare, the idea of an obstetrician didn’t really float my boat. My sister is a midwife and I am confident in the care that they offer. Midwifery (simplistically) is a happy medium between doctor and doula. It didn’t bother me at all that I saw different midwives almost every appointment, I kind of liked it better that way. Going public barely cost us anything and the care and service was exceptional. On the other end of the scale, we’re not home-birth kind of people at all, I’d rather have the medical backup if required. The Birth Centre was a great middle ground. We’re not hippies… we’re nerds.
Claire graced us in coming essentially a day after her due date (the second date – and the one the midwives were running with). My revised guess the week leading up was that she’d come on the 29th, and I wasn’t too far wrong. I did spend a fair amount of time sitting forward/scrubbing floors etc. in an attempt to a) speed things along as I was getting bored b) she was partially posterior and I was hoping she would turn. I also entirely completed my ‘to-do’ list including the one last random DIY – which I had banked as completely optional.
A few days before Claire was born I was researching birth photography online to give Geoff some idea of the kind of photos I’d like him to take and I came across Spikey Hedgehog Photography, I enquired, entirely not expecting to have anything of the sort happen so close to the baby being due but because I was curious. A back and forth email conversation in the early hours of the morning and Jill was on-board, I met her the next day.
Labor kicked in about 3am on Wednesday morning (27th June) we decided that Geoff should stick around at home rather than head in to work. We spent the day watching Grand Designs, eating from our stockpile of snacks and timing contractions on the iPhone. Things stalled early morning, frustratingly, and didn’t pick up again until late afternoon. I used a heat pack and we put the TENS machine on pretty early and kept that going. Such a smart decision to hire one, I cannot recommend them enough! So we stuck it out. By evening – whenever I got into the shower things would speed up considerably (between 2-4 minutes). We called the hospital and they said wait a bit to see how things went and come on in when we thought we should. A few hours later we decided to head in, they weren’t terribly busy and we thought things could keep progressing with the use of water.
Things slowed down again with the change of location. Once there we tried the shower again and sure enough things picked up. We hit a shift change pretty soon after our arrival, which worked really well. I knew the first midwife from a few clinic visits but hadn’t really met the second. The familiarity of the first midwife was great was she is lovely and was perfect for us to get settled. I was praying for someone through labour who would be a good fit for us and the shift change bought pretty well exactly the kind of midwife I needed, not overly saccharine, respectful and present but not in our faces.
Jill showed up not long after we arrived and met Geoff, I probably vaguely acknowledged her but that was kind of it. You’re not terribly interested in concentrating on anything much except contractions. I alternated between the shower and sitting on a birth ball (yeah a gym ball people – nothing more special than that) as I preferred the TENS to the shower – although I’m not sure I actually let anyone know that verbally. Geoff was extremely wonderful throughout. I was pretty vocal – more so than I thought I would be.
After who knows how many hours the midwife suggested I try the bath, and I remember wishing it would hurry up and fill up faster as I was pretty desperate for a change. The bath was not the immediate mind blowing relief I was hoping for – I think I thought it might magically take a lot of the pain away, it did work really well, just not quite as beautifully as I unrealistically hoped. It was great having the room for Geoff to be there too to help hold me up – along with the rail. We were both exhausted and I felt Geoff doze off a few times (apparently it happens a lot with that room… warm and comfortable – not quite your Peninsula Hot Springs…) and it was goodly (sic) distracting to have to pay attention in keeping both keep him and myself awake.
At 4am my waters broke spontaneously – in the bath, another thing I was extremely happy about not having happen prior to hospital as the risk of induction and the use of intervention jumps if your waters break and things don’t move. Things progressed a bit more rapidly then. I had extremely bad back pain – it turns out Claire was posterior – which I didn’t really realise at the time. The midwife suggested sterile water injections as an option but aptly warned me – this was something I had discussed with my sister, who is a midwife only a week before. Foolishly (or wisely) I requested them. Sterile water injections are four injections given simultaneously with a contraction. They are literally just water beads injected under the surface of your skin – and work on nerve gateway principles and block pain. They work insanely well. I had two midwifes during a contraction. I had no idea I could make that kind of noise. They hurt. They hurt. They hurt. They work. Geoff marks this as possibly the most terrifying part of the whole labour. They tell you they hurt like a bad bee-sting… this was some kind of mutant bee.
Things moved pretty quickly after that. I did get really ‘pushy’ quite early. Too early. They got me out of the bath and back to the room where they put me on a drip as the babies heart rate was quite high as I was dehydrated despite my best attempts to drink. Red Powerade makes for nasty vomit… I got stuck at 7cm dilated. I couldn’t pee. They put a catheter in. Thank goodness. You’re not meant to like these things but glory it was good. The concentration of transition and having to breathe through and not push was genuinely horrible. The catheter meant things could actually keep moving.
The pushing bit of having a baby is not the worst bit. I’m not sure why this bit is always understood as the worst. It’s difficult, it’s bloody painful but you get a chance to rest and genuinely stop between pushes. It’s helpful having the end finally in sight and yet frustrating when you think each push is going to be ‘it’ but it doesn’t quite get you there.
Claire Matilda arrived at 8.11am on the 28th of June. She was posterior – face out (a real treat for the midwives, Geoff and Jill – not so for me). Geoff knew she was a girl when he saw the top half of her face. It was emotionally foreign and wonderful and entirely overwhelming. She was tiny and amazing.
I delivered the placenta physiologically (no drugs again) despite being offered an injection – which I half accepted and then figured I’d got this far, I might as well go the whole way, far less rewarding this bit – you kind of just want your uterus to stop working and to sleep/enjoy your baby. Prior to birth I was rather scared of tearing. I tore. I asked them if it was going to hurt – I’m not sure why I didn’t factor in that you get a local before they stitch you up but it was an odd (and somewhat ridiculous) relief. I did use gas then and the local and it wasn’t bad – the recovery hasn’t been bad either (all things considered).
And then we were. Tired. But new. With a little girl 3.5kg, 51cm long, a head of hair and little mole on the right side of her face.
Such a huge thanks to Geoff for his incredible support, to Zoe especially and Christina and the Mercy Family Birth Centre for their experience and wisdom and to Jill for her stunning photographs and help through the whole labour. I am so grateful we had the opportunity to record this life changing event.
It is two and a half weeks on. The days are kind of blurry – which I think keeps you sane. The Tour de France is on and helpful in keeping company at 1am. People have bought us so many meals. We have been out and about a bit, to grandparents, to bookclub, to the shops, to church.
We are adjusting, and loving it. She make hilarious faces and cute ‘smiles’ and has a deep cry. Breastfeeding sucks (pardon any pun, but it does) despite probably going considerably well.
She’s good. It is good
Spikey Hedgehog Photography 