Baby Liam was the perfect snuggly baby for his in-home newborn session with Mom, Dad, Big Brother Dax, and their golden doodle, Penny Lane. I have known Liam’s mom, Kimi, for a long time. She’s one of my sister’s very best friends. It’s always so special getting to be a part of their family’s special moments. I was fortunate enough to also shoot Dax’s newborn photos! We definitely had to recreate a few photos from his session a few years ago. It is always such a pleasure to spend time with this sweet family!
Read below to learn more about Liam’s birth story from Kimi’s perspective.
Birth story written by mom, Kimi
Despite wanting to have a natural birth with Dax, I ended up with an epidural at 27 hours into labor because he was sunny side up. My midwife wanted me to relax so she could try to turn him and so I could get some rest before it was time to push. Dax was born after 36 hours of labor, including 3 hours of pushing due to me not being able to feel anything from the epidural (I’m really sensitive to medication).
After that experience, I knew I wanted to try again for a natural birth this time.
Labor experience with Liam
Six days before my due date, I spent the day feeling like I was maybe leaking amniotic fluid. After calling my OB/Midwife office that afternoon and being told to go to the hospital OB Triage, they confirmed that night that I was leaking amniotic fluid and would need to be admitted. I was really scared because I wanted to avoid interventions and I wasn’t having contractions yet. By the time I talked with my midwife, it had been 14 hours since the leak started. She encouraged me to take a medication that would hopefully nudge me into labor. I decided to give it a try around midnight and get some sleep while I waited for it to kick in. Two hours later, I woke up with strong contractions.
This labor was the complete opposite of my experience with Dax. Each contraction was stronger than the previous one. I was able to labor in whatever positions felt best for a little over 2 hours. By the time I even considered asking about pain management options (4:15 a.m.), I was already 8-9 centimeters. About 10 minutes later, I asked if I could labor in the tub, but my midwife didn’t think there would be enough time to fill it, so she recommended a warm shower to help with the pain. A few minutes after I stepped into the shower, I had an intense contraction and asked, “is it possible that he’s coming out now?” My midwife said “it’s possible!” When she went to check, she was surprised and said “I can feel his head.”
Two more contractions and Liam McCartney Shackelford was caught by my midwife while I delivered him standing in the shower at 4:43 a.m. It was intense but the short, natural birth I had wanted.
Want to watch me shoot Liam’s session?
If you’re a photographer and want to watch me shoot Liam’s entire in-home newborn session, you can do that inside the Membership for Motherhood Photographers. Log in to your Member Portal or join today here!
Here are a few of my favorite photos from Liam’s session:
