Some birth stories begin long before the day a baby arrives.
For this family, the beginning started even before our consultation. When she first reached out, we quickly realized there was a beautiful connection already there. My husband knows her father very well and discovering that overlap felt like one of those special “New Orleans so small” moments where relationships weave together in unexpected ways.
From our consultation there was an ease and familiarity that felt very natural. They were a young couple and something about them reminded me of my husband and I during our first birth experience. I too delivered my first baby at Touro so walking through those halls again after four years brought back memories as I was contracting in those very hallways I was not walking down to photograph a mama’s birth.
On the morning of December 2nd, I arrived at Touro in New Orleans. It was a cold morning and when I walked into the room it was filled with family. Everyone was standing close, watching, and supporting. There was excitement, nervousness, and a lot of care surrounding this mother.
As the day went on the atmosphere began to soften. The room eventually became quieter and the soon to be mom was able to rest. The doula and I stepped out for a while so she could have privacy and calm. Her husband stayed close and let us know when things began to change.
Later, when I received the text to return quickly. I hurried back to the hospital as fast as I could. I remember running through the hallway and her family cheering me on. When I entered the room again, everything was moving with purpose and intention. A few minutes later the doula arrived. She told me that the family in the waiting area was cheering her on also. We both settled into our roles, witnessing the beauty of the moment.
Baby Neomah arrived smoothly and peacefully. The love in the room was gentle. She was welcomed into a space that felt good. It is always an honor to document birth at Touro and to serve as a birth photographer here in New Orleans. These stories feel deeply rooted in place and memory.
After everything settled, there was talk about food and the comfort of finally eating again. The mama wanted her victory meal. Her meal of choice was Chipotle. Moments like that always remind me that birth is both sacred and human. It is powerful and ordinary at the same time.
I am always grateful to the families who invite me into these intimate spaces. Birth rarely follows a perfect plan but when there is trust and support, it unfolds in a very meaningful way.
If you are planning a birth at Touro or anywhere in the south Louisiana or New Orleans area and are looking for a birth photographer, I would be honored to document your story.
Welcome to the world, Neomah.
