Evelyn Clary//11.22.17

On the evening before Thanksgiving, I got the call that “we were headed to the Birthing Center”. Of course I started panicking. It was about to be the first birth that I would ever get to capture. Do I have my camera? Batteries charged? Cards empty? Tons of thoughts were racing through my head as I quickly got out the door to head up North to St. Joseph’s Midwifery Birthing Center in Tacoma. In true Holiday fashion, traffic was a nightmare. I started reliving my own birth story and worried that “mama” was going to have this baby before I even arrived. But she didn’t, thank goodness. 

When I arrived to the Birthing Center, “mama” still hadn’t been checked into a room and was experiencing intense contractions in the lobby with her husband. The space was brightly lit, but very serene and welcoming. The cream colored furniture, glass light fixtures, and Keurig in the corner- made it feel more like the living room of your best friend’s house than a hospital. The night was quiet. So quiet, in fact, that the 6:00pm hour felt more like 2:00am. 

Just a short time later, the Midwife checked on “mama’s” progression and decided that she was ready for a room. We entered the 500 square foot (dream of a) room and everyone got comfortable. The Birthing Center had two Midwives and a Doula on staff for the evening. In addition to the help, the family had also hired a Doula of their own. All together, there were 7 of us (including mama) waiting on edge to meet baby Evelyn. 

The two Doulas did their job to make “mama” comfortable. The lights were so dim that my Christmas Tree would have provided more light to the room. They also set up a few battery powered candle lights to add an additional ambience. One of the Doulas played calming instrumental music on her phone. Dad even made a comment that they “got to experience all of East and West Asia” through the channel they were listening to. To add to the calm, the other Doula filled cotton swabs with scents of Lavender so that “mama” could breathe it in to help relax.

Multiple positions were tried to get baby moving, all while “mama” handled every contraction like a champ. She didn’t enjoy the process of her first birth and she was determined to have more control over this birth story. She wanted it on her terms. She provided to her Doula a list of quotes and phrases to help her in the most trying moments. As she was between contractions, her Doula would read them to her to remind her of her purpose and power. It was such a moving experience. “Mama” was in pain, but she didn’t let it consume her. At times, she was so calm that you wouldn’t even know that she was progressing that way that she did. 

By 11:00pm, things drastically began to change. “Mama’s demeanor became more intense  and the midwives started to check her progression. Baby Evelyn was almost here. After just a few short pushes, her head began to crown. At 11:25pm, little girl Evelyn Clary was here!

She was a whopping 8lbs 11ounces (which is huge for both families) and 21inches long. Her face was squishy and perfect. After her arrival, she got to spend about 25 beautiful minutes with her mama. Mom needed a little more medical attention, so Dad hoped in bed and took over the “skin-to-skin” time. 

The entire experience was perfection. Since the family delivered at the Birthing Center, they were able to leave within the next 12 hours. I heard from “mama” later that they only slept about 30 minutes that night; but since the next day was Thanksgiving, they were welcomed home to a house filled with food, family, and a new little girl. 

In order to respect the family’s privacy, not all photos are included.