Jill Richards Photography | Arizona Commercial and Editorial Photographer: Black and White

I’ve witnessed a birth before. I was 17. It was equal parts amazing and horrifying. It did not make me feel warm and fuzzy about ever giving birth. I’m sure that had less to do with the sterile hospital setting and more to do with being 17.

I was invited to photograph a home water birth after a colleague of mine had to leave town and her expecting family was running days past their due date. I have to admit, I crossed my fingers for the chance to photograph the event. Big thanks to Jill McNamara for sharing the opportunity.

At 3 a.m. I received a call from a calm, expecting father. Bryan Paris said it was time. When I arrived, Megan was in full-blown contractions. The Paris family had an inflatable pool set up in their dining room. The kitchen table became a workspace for midwifery supplies. A hose from the bathroom ran down the hall and into the dining room, filling the pool with warm water. Megan’s mother and Bryan were sharing the duties of bringing fresh wash cloths to cool off with, ice water to drink and back rubs to relieve pressure.

With Bryan in the water at her side, Megan began the pushing process around 3:30 a.m. She seemed to find a calmness in the deep breathing, teeth clenching and pep-talking to her soon-to-be baby girl. At one point, she rubbed her stomach and spoke directly to her baby, reassuring her it was time. The breathing deepened as the pain increased. By 3:50 a.m., Maya Leigh was born. She entered the warm water of the pool and took her first breaths as she lay on top of her mother’s stomach.

Maya was wrapped in a towel and brought into the Paris’ bedroom, where she immediately started breast feeding. Within minutes of her birth, Maya was in her mother’s arms and in their bed at home. In the morning Maya would meet her big brother, Finn, 2, who slept the entire night not knowing his little sister was being born in the dining room.

Thank you to Megan and Bryan for inviting me into your home and introducing me to Maya. I can’t thank you enough for giving me permission to share these personal photographs.

And yes, this experience made me feel warm and fuzzy about giving birth.