01.02.2023
Oh my goodness… what to even say about this day?? Mellie called and woke me at about 6:30am and by 8:15am we were all at the hospital ready to have a baby. Mellie did most of the work.
She was already in hardcore labour, focused on contractions when I arrived, and being very well taken care of by Ben, and her amazing midwife Roseanne, who has delivered all 3 of her babies! My biggest concern going into photographing this birth was that the hospital staff would find it annoying or that I’d be inadvertently in their way, but Roseanne was so lovely and accomodating, despite me practically sitting in her lap at one point.
Mel was asked to hop up onto the bed so Roseanne could quickly monitor baby boy’s heart rate and check his position- this was so painful to watch as I could see that having to lay on her back was SO uncomfortable for her.
After a short vomit break, we all crammed ourselves into the shower together, and Mellie, Ben and I really ascended to the next level of friendship 🤠
Within a few minutes of being in the shower it was pretty clear that Mel was in transition and that we were going to have a baby really soon. I may or may not have had a little cry, not just from watching Mellie working and powering through so much pain, but watching Ben support her with so much love.
Mel continued working through transition in the dark, on the shower floor. Shooting on the wet shower floor with flash was actually a fun challenge for me (I don’t think Mellie was having too much fun at this point however).
At one point Roseanne left to find a flashlight, as baby was super close to crowning. Mellie started to panic that she wouldn’t make it back in time to catch the baby, but luckily for her I’d been waiting my whole life for this moment and was fully prepared to catch the baby with one hand and photograph with the other 💅
Sadly for me, Roseanne made it back just in time for baby catching duties. Within a minute, baby’s head was completely out and we realised he was still en caul! This was probably the most surreal moment of my life, and I can still remember looking into Mellie’s eyes and telling her that I could see her baby’s face and that she was so close to meeting him. By this point the overhead light had been turned on for better visibility, but Mellie’s body had stopped contracting and baby was taking a little hiatus. Roseanne eventually realised that turning on the lights had startled Mellie’s body and that it had instinctually stopped contracting. Our bodies are crazy! Once the light was turned off again, her body picked up right where it had left off. Ben was crying at this point and I’m not sure if it was because he was about to meet his baby, or because I was literally crawling underneath his legs to make sure I didn’t miss the crowning shot.
Both Mellie and Roseanne reached out their hands to welcome baby Sunny into the world at 9:09 am. He came out en caul, Mellie instinctively pulled the sac off of his face, he let out a little cry and went straight back to sleep.
Everyone was on a massive high after Sunny’s arrival, Mellie is literally superwoman and within minutes of giving birth was on her feet and walking back to bed, cord still attached and all.
For weeks I’d been convinced that Sunny would be born on 02.02 as I could just feeeeel double numbers attached to him, but instead he was born at 09.09 on 01.02.23!
Once the cord had stopped pulsating, Ben cut it and Mellie delivered the placenta shortly after. It never ceases to amaze me that our bodies can not only grow a baby, but grow an entire new organ to support and nourish that baby. Roseanne had fun playing with the placenta, turning it inside out and explaining it all to Mellie and I, who were in awe. Ben was a good sport and tried not to throw up.
Sunny tried his hardest to wake up long enough to have his first little breastfeed, while we all obsessed over how cute and squishy he was. Ben stole the baby for some cuddles and more photos before I headed home to my own little boy. He was being babysat by my mum who couldn’t believe I was home already. I left the house at 8am and was home by 10am!
Mellie, you are an absolute powerhouse of a woman and I am so grateful that you Ben not only trusted me enough to invite me into your birth space, but to photograph it too. What an incredible privilege. I’m really glad I didn’t f*ck it up 😆
Love you guys and thank you for giving me another little wild boy to love!
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