Kirsteen is herseld an independant midwife, so she was more prepared than most to welcome her third baby boy.
She works on a team of midwives who serve women in Melbourne and the Yarra Valley who want to birth at home or just want the consistent care of a midwife through their pregnancy and birthing journey. So of course she had two of her beautiful colleagues attend her birth along with her husband, her mum, a friend and me!
It was such a warm and relaxed space and Kirsteen rode her contractions and let the emotions ebb and flow.
The clock ticked closer to midnight and everyone wondered what would be the baby’s birthdate. At around this time Kirsteen was getting tired and the submersion wasn’t offering much comfort anymore. She tried walking and swinging, the fit ball and laying on the couch, before finally ending up back in the birth pool.
Finally at a few minutes past 1am Patrick arrived gently in the water, caught by Kirsteen. His big brother joining us to watch the birth of his baby brother.
Documenting the huge emotions, the rawness, the power and the beauty in birth is what I do. I want women to be able to look back and see how incredibly strong they are. I want them to see the love in their husband’s eyes as he watches them work through the intensity of birth. I want them to be able to see all the little details that would otherwise be forgotten.
