A Birth Center Birth at Sacred Roots — Indianapolis, Indiana
This past summer I had the honor of being invited into so many birthing spaces as a birth photographer. Even though I’m offering doula support now, I will never not be a birth photographer at the core of my being.
Jenelle invited me to attend her birth at our local Birth Center, Sacred Roots, in Indianapolis. This birth center consists of a wonderful team of midwives and nurses who put client birthing goals at the forefront. They really do strive to care for and attend births in their own physiological right. They understand that birth is biological, normal, and when left unaugmented, is empowering and beautiful. There’s just something super special about witnessing a birthing person labor with their partner and/or doula, through the waves, and then reach down to bring their baby to their chest.
This is exactly what we all witnessed Jenelle and her partner, Clayton do for their birth at the birth center. It was beautiful and empowering, and, despite the many births I attend and see happen, it was unique and special. Congratulations to this sweet family who announced the birth of their baby girl just a couple short months ago! I am honored to share some images from their birth with you all below.
When I arrived at the birth center, Jenelle, Clayton, and Alyssa with Heart To Heart Doulas were working to find a comforting sway for Jenelle during her contractions. After a bit of belly lifting and counter-pressure with a heated rice compress, Jenelle decided it was time to get in the birth tub. You could tell that the water helped bring her relief - she labored on until she felt like she needed to push. Ame, the attending midwife at Sacred Roots, gently found baby’s head emerging and guided her out. Jenelle then grabbed her baby and brought her to her chest to say hi. What a greeting it was! She worked so incredibly hard to meet her new baby. Shortly after, she, Clayton, and baby Ellory transferred to the bed that is located within their birthing suite at the birth center. After the cord was done pulsing, Clayton cut it while Jenelle and Ellory soaked in each other’s essence and being skin to skin. It was such a joyful site. Soon, Ellory began searching for the breast. After some amazing one on one time with her parents, Ellory was bundled up like a little burrito for some pictures, and then Megan, another Sacred Roots midwife, began doing the newborn exam thereafter. Aren’t her little footprints just the sweetest?!
