Fresh 48 sessions South Tampa are some of my favorite sessions. Okay, I keep saying that every session is my favorite. These are incredibly beautiful images. Fresh 48 South Tampa sessions take place within 48 hours of a newborn’s birth. They aren’t just in South Tampa either because I travel all over Tampa Bay!
I arrive to the Tampa bay hospital within that time period to capture images of you and your growing family. Fresh 48 sessions can take place within a home or birth center as well, so please reach out if you have questions. (more…)
As Tampa, Florida Home Water Birth Photographer, I like to ask my birth Mama’s to give us their Birth Story. Whether they choose to have a Natural Home Birth in the water, in the hospital, etc is completely up to them. Every story is unique and genuine and I love the words to go along with our photos and video.
Here’s the Birth Story of Ms. Leah W., of her beautiful baby Girl Isla’s entrance into this world. She arrived March 20, 2016 at 12:50 pm. She was 9 pounds and 22 inches long.
Isla was a surprise from the start. Her older brothers are 8 and 7, my husband Scott and I figured we were done but she had other plans. A third pregnancy and you think she’ll arrive early and fast. No, not Isla. She arrived on her due date and was my longest labor at over 20 hours!! Contractions finally fell into a pattern and became strong enough to give me pause as I was getting dinner ready for my boys. They continued throughout the evening and into the night. We tried distraction with Netflix until they became strong enough to need quiet, calm, and focus. Confusion set in, contractions were close and strong, yet I could still talk in between. We decided it was best to try to sleep, I got very little. I was back at it at 3am, rocking and swaying on the birth ball. Charlie, my midwife, arrived around 5:30am and Ashley, the photographer, soon after.
Charlie gave me the go ahead for the tub and I was so relieved to slip into the hot water. I could bear down a little if I felt the urge. I got nervous, as I have done with each of my boys, and I thought the end was close. I was going to have my third water birth! But Isla, once again, had other plans. She got herself into an awkward position and I still had a bit of stubborn dilating to do. So it was in and out of the tub, up and down and backwards and forwards on the toilet, on and off the bed.
A drip of antibiotics and an IV while laying on my side, my most dreaded and excruciating position, that is until I met the lunge. Lunges with one leg high on a step ladder and pulsing to the side, trying to get baby to turn, trying to free the space. Charlie threatened me with walking the neighborhood, I don’t think she meant it as a threat, but if she did, it worked. I could barely walk to the bathroom let alone to my front door and out into the bright Sunday morning air. I was weak and exhausted, I threw up, I pooped in front of people! I remember wondering how it got so late in the morning, how and why was it taking so long, it wasn’t supposed to go this way!
My strength and determination were draining by the minute and I was thinking that maybe a hospital transport, even though it would mean a C-section, might be worth it. Something that my sane mind would never, ever consider. I crawled up on the bed and rocked and swayed on my knees with my chest and head leaning on the birth ball. I knew there was nothing left to do but let go and I gave in the best I could. The pain was unbearable. It takes everything you have to resist fighting that pain. To let go and open when all you want to do is clench and run. I focused in and let go with each wave. I thought I might die. I got off the ball again for another round of dreaded lunges, grateful for all the Bodypump squats and lunges that had prepared my tired legs, when we saw the blood. Dark red relief. That blood was relief, crazy as that sounds. I knew it, Scott knew it, and my midwives knew it. I hobbled off the bed and stood there knowing that the urge to push I felt then was finally the real thing. She was going to come right then and there and a few pushes later, she did. I felt her small head as she made her way earthside. My midwives caught her and passed her up to me and I snuggled and kissed her beautiful, swollen face.
Her entrance was nothing like the calm water birth I had planned for and dreamt of but she was here, safe in my arms, and that was all that mattered. Isla has been a bundle of surprises since that 4th of July when those two pink lines changed our lives yet again, but she has been our greatest surprise and has made our lives complete.
I’ll never forget…
The awe of seeing Isla for the first time. I may not be able to recall every detail of labor but I can clearly remember the feeling of holding Isla in my arms for the first time. Seeing and holding that baby who spent so much time growing inside of you, it is truly an amazing moment.
Birth is natural and your body knows what it needs to do, even if you find yourself fighting against it. This birth went nothing like I thought it would. I didn’t prepare for an alternative to that calm water birth I envisioned. Maybe if I had been more prepared and less fearful things may have gone differently, then again maybe not. I’ll never know but it taught me to take things in stride when they don’t go as planned. I can’t be in control of everything, the only thing I can control is my reaction to it.
I remember being worried about my boys being there during labor and birth. I had prepared them for a new baby and breastfeeding, but we hadn’t really talked about birth, assuming they would be sleeping or out of the house. When things went longer than expected they kept themselves occupied and had their moments of curiosity. My oldest, Sullivan, was much more interested in it all than Oliver and boy did he get an eye and ear full. The great thing is that they didn’t bat an eye. I hope I have normalized birth, and now breastfeeding, for them. I think it is a powerful lesson and one I am glad I could provide them.
As St Petersburg, Florida Home Birth Photographer, I like to ask my birth Mama’s to give us their Birth Story. Whether they choose to have a Natural Home Birth in the water, in the hospital, etc is completely up to them. Every story is unique and genuine and I love the words to go along with our photos and video.
Here’s the Birth Story of Ms. Caroline B, of her beautiful baby Boy Enzo’s entrance into this world. He arrived February 5, 2016 at 9:44 pm. He was 8 pounds 12 ounces and 21 1/2 inches long.
I woke up with that “this is the day” feeling. I had contractions or surges as we call them in the hypnobirthing world, all day but nothing that stopped my daily routine. I went to lunch with my husband, stopped at the grocery store and then around 5 pm I was certain I was in labor. Since we chose to have a homebirth, I wasn’t in a hurry to get anywhere and spent most of the evening with my family laboring in our hot tub.
I text our midwife around 7 saying that things seemed to be picking up, she arrived at 7:45 and our beautiful baby boy entered the world shortly after.
He was welcomed by his entire family and our younger daughter jumped right into the birth pool following his birth and said with the most innocent, sweetest voice “mama you did magic”.
I’ll never forget…
This was by far my favorite birth simply because my two daughters were so involved. I had worried a little that they would be distracting or possibly scared but it was the complete opposite.
They were so excited and so loving during the labor process.
I loved how tender and sweet they, as well as my husband were during labor.
I loved being able to show them that birth is a normal part of life and nothing to be feared. I hope it is a memory they will cherish as the years pass. I know for me it will be something I never forget.
I loved how intimate the evening was. Our entire family has fallen head over heels in love with our new baby boy and life before he arrived is hard to even remember now. He fits right in 🙂
In case you haven’t been following our Twelve by Twelve Project, every month a group of 12 photographers post about a specific topic related to our field of expertise. The topic this month if nostalgia. As many of you know, I am a birth photographer here in Tampa Bay. I have a particular expertise in this field of putting my birth photography and movie clips set to music in a video. This has proven to be something that is priceless to parents.
Birth photography is a beautiful thing. Add in movie clips of babies heart beat while still in the womb, and the babies first cry…put this with a memorable song and you have parents, family, friends and even strangers watching this video in a bubblery crying mess. I can’t tell a lie. I love when people are crying happy tears to my photos and videos. It means I was able to evoke emotion and thats what its all about! Capturing the babies first moments into the world and changing their parents hearts forever.
Continue onto the next photographer in our Blog Circle Chicago Headshot Photographer Amy of Apple Street Productions
Birthing sessions are still relatively new to the world. I have been photographing hospital births and water births in Tampa, St Petersburg and Clearwater for nearly 3 years. My Birth Gallery of Images will help you in making your decision to hire Ashley Yvonne Photography for your next child’s birth.
If you think about it, you’ve always had someone documenting the birth of your children. But this time, instead of having your husband, mom or sister take the photos and miss the pure un-interrupted moments of the birth, you’ll have Ashley Yvonne Photography. You can let them focus on you and the moment and allow a professional to get the best photos possible of your big moment.
I capture still images that you can put into an album and reach for whenever you’d like it. In addition, I capture snippets of video footage that I put into a Movie clip along with your still images, set to music. The Movie Clip sets you back into that beautiful moment so that you remember it forever and you can share it with your Newborn when he/she graduates high school. Be sure to check out some of the Tampa Bay Birthing Videos on my YouTube Channel.
This birth session is truly documentary, as the moment is happening. Because of that, these images are raw and genuine. You may not see everything I see and its amazing to see your birth from a different view.
I hope these photos give you the feelings that it gives most of my families from the past.
Every time I put together a Birth Video for one of my Tampa Births, it makes me smile and I feel so happy to be apart of such a big moment in someone’s life. These videos are so magical to me because in a moment of excitement, anxiety, and wonder, it’s the best feeling to be next to a family to witness and share in the day. It is such a beautiful moment when your significant other is holding your hand right before your baby is about to enter the world.
