Born at Maple Grove Hospital in Minnesota | A Preview of a Breech Surprise Sex Birth Story in Photographs | Photography by Gather Birth Cooperative
September 10, 2019 | 1:52 pm
As birth photographers and doulas in the Twin Cities, we're fortunate to be invited to all kinds of births. Whether it's a planned c-section with an OB, a hands-off birth at home with midwives, or something in between, we are always excited about the possibility of capturing the beauty within the birthing experience. When this sweet baby's mama reached out to us at the beginning of July, she didn't yet know that her baby, sex unknown, was breech. As her guess date approached, she and her provider worked together to decide that a birth via c-section would be the best option for them.
On the big day, our clients asked for their Gather Birth photographer to meet them at the hospital at 10:45 in anticipation of their 12:30 surgery time. Our photographer arrived from her home in Minneapolis a bit early to get some shots of the birthplace and make sure she wasn't late. She captured their special day starting when they walked into their hospital wing and was with them until their baby was two hours old.
Once our client settled into the room, she was hooked up to the monitors so her birth team at the hospital could get the baby's baseline heart rate. It was so incredible to hear the baby's heartbeat inside their mama's body for the last time. After a bit of a delay, it was finally time for mom to walk down to the OR. Her husband waited in the hall while the surgical team did one last ultrasound to confirm the baby was still breech and administered the spinal block. As you can see in the photos, once he was in the room, the baby was born within a few short minutes!
As soon as the baby was born, the surgery team dropped the blue drape so our clients could see their sweet baby without any obstructions. Dad got to announce the sex through laughter and tears, and then he walked with the baby, a boy!, to the baby bed while his nurse looked him over. Baby boy was weighed, measured, and brought back to his mama for skin-to-skin time and bonding. When the surgery was over, everyone made their way back to the room - but not without a bit of excitement. Baby Crew's ankle bracelet set off the alarms and the security team at the hospital had to override the code so that we could continue to the recovery room. Once there, baby Crew took to breastfeeding like a champ while his dad smothered him with kisses.
After a few hours, our photographer prepared to leave. She took a few more photos of the family — posed this time, rather than purely candid — before she left and wished them well. On her way home, she dropped their placenta off with our encapsulation specialist in St. Paul. We hope you enjoy looking at these gorgeous birth photographs as much as we enjoy capturing them.
Welcome to the world, sweet Crew! We are so glad you’re here.
