Jenny and Cassidy contacted me just a few weeks before Cassidy’s due date, wondering if I was available to photograph the birth of their baby girl that month. While my schedule was a bit busy, you all know I can never resist a good birth story! So we emailed back and forth a few times, and just like that…I was on call!

One early morning, a few days before Cassidy’s due date, I got a text saying that her water had broke and they were waiting for contractions to start up! I knew now it was only a matter of time before things started to pick up for her, so I made sure I had everything checked off my list for that day and the next day! I was already going to be in Annapolis that day, so I decided to head to the hospital as soon as I was finished with my meeting…Cassidy was delivering at George Washington University Hospital and DC traffic always makes me nervous, especially when it comes to births!  I brought my laptop and chargers and settled in to the Visitor area for a long night of editing, catching up on emails, and reading. It was a welcome excuse to work uninterrupted for several hours at a time. In the evening, I saw an older husband and wife walk into the visitor area, rolling a wheely bag behind them and talking about “her water breaking awhile ago.” I took one look and knew they were Cassidy’s family, so I introduced myself and we spent the rest of the night making guesses on when this baby would actually arrive.

After Cassidy got her epidural and small nap in, I went back to their room to meet them for the first time. Both Jenny and Cassidy were instantly warm, cheerful, and kind, and of course obviously filled with nerves and excitement for the arrival of their daughter.

I left them alone to rest for a few hours, knowing that things would get harder before they got easier and wanting them to enjoy their quiet time. Cassidy’s parents and I shifted around in the visitor chairs, alternating between attempting at glimpses of sleep and watching strange middle-of-the-night television. The next time I went to check on Cassidy and Jenny, things had noticeably changed, a slight shift in the atmosphere in the room. Jenny, who had previously been already attentive and supportive to Cassidy, was now even more involved – on her feet constantly, holding Jenny’s hand, rubbing her back, kissing the top of her head, and intently watching her contractions on the monitor. It was obvious that Cassidy was feeling much more pain than she had been before, even though her epidural had been put in and checked a second time. Now she had to concentrate and breathe through each contraction, and felt relief when pressure was applied to her back and hips.

I’m not going to lie – at first, when I came back to their room this second time, I was tired – (I know, I know, I wasn’t even the one doing the work!). But hey, it was the middle of the night and my head was slowing down. But then, there was a moment when Cassidy was telling me about the day they got married. She mentioned that they hadn’t hired a photographer for their intimate elopement, and that there was a part of her that regretted it. I instantly connected to this, as I, too, regret not hiring a professional photographer for our wedding. Then she added, “So this was kind of our treat to ourselves. Having this captured since we don’t have photos from our wedding – we wanted photos of our daughter being born.”

And just like that, it hit me.

This was big.
This was important.
This was going to mean something to them for the rest of their – and their daughter’s! – lives.
Capturing this story was all up to me. It was in my hands.

And suddenly, everything I was doing took on a greater meaning. Suddenly….I wasn’t tired anymore.

Cassidy was getting tired, though. She was sick of just being in pain, and not being able to do anything about it. Because Cassidy’s water broke a full 24 hours previously, they were worried that the baby’s cord might be wrapped around her neck at this point. Baby’s heart beat kept dropping after each contraction, so they put Mom on some extra oxygen in hopes of giving baby a boost. The nurse and the doctor gave Cassidy cautious permission to do something about her pain – to start the pushing process. After each set of pushes, we all listened eagerly for the baby’s heartbeat, crossing our fingers it would remain stable.

…Baby did okay at first, but the harder things got, the longer it took for her heart rate to catch back up after a contraction. With Cassidy and Jenny’s permission, the doctor decided to use forceps to assist in getting Baby Girl out. This was my first forcep delivery to witness, and the medical side of me (which is NOT a big side of me, mind you) was quite curious about the whole process. The rest of me (the majority of me) was wincing for Cassidy, but she really handled everything like a champ, especially with the support of Jenny the entire time. And really, the forceps didn’t do much of the work – basically, the doctor just rotated Baby, and then Cassidy was able to finish the rest of the work on her own!! It was incredible.

Little Ryder Nersena was here! She is probably the most “chill” newborn I’ve ever photographed! She was literally smiling at the nurse while she wrapped her back up in her blanket. And then smiling at Mom when Jenny held her for the first time. I almost couldn’t believe it myself! Grandma and Grandpa came in to meet their first granddaughter shortly after, and I’m positively in love with this photo of Grandpa getting emotional seeing her for the first time.

Cassidy and Jenny – I will always be glad I was a part of Ryder’s entrance into this world! Thank you for allowing me to capture such a sacred moment in your lives. I hope you cherish these photos, and I hope Ryder sees them and knows how much she is loved in her family!!