When Joy asked me to be her doula for the birth of her second child, I could not have been more honored. I had photographed Joy and her husband Ryan during her pregnancy with their first baby, Addie, and I did her newborn session when she was a few weeks old. So to be by their side through another pregnancy journey and birth was just so special.

After a long labor with Addie, Joy finally got to 10cm dilated, but was shocked when her doctor discovered that baby was in the breech position. After having a Cesarean birth with Addie, she was looking forward to an empowering, successful VBAC with her second baby. And boy, did she get it!

Joy had a whirlwind birth that lasted less than 4 hours from beginning to end. I supported her briefly at home and helped them get into the car and GO! St. Vincent’s Southside had a policy at the time of only allowing doulas back with the patient after the patient received a negative COVID test. But Joy was in full-blown labor on admission and there was no time for a test. Her sweet baby Natalie was born shortly after they arrived and Joy got her VBAC!

Although I would have loved to be by her side during Natalie’s birth, Joy had everything she needed to safely birth her baby, her way. I celebrated from the waiting room! A few hours later, once she finally got a COVID test, I was allowed in to help them adjust to their postpartum time and do a little hospital newborn photo session with their precious daughter.

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