Philadelphia Inquirer

Image is Everything Studios often has the opportunity to work with newly-made families, welcoming their first baby into this world, as a Philadelphia and NJ Newborn Photographer. We also donate our time to www.threelittlebirdsperinatal.org, when the unimaginable happens and a baby doesn’t make it to their birth date or has unforeseen complications after. For parents who have pregnancies that are “routine”, they may be oblivious to many things (good and bad).

One family we recently photographed had just that kind of pregnancy. Reading the Philadelphia Inquirer‘s recent article, Tanisha and Felix reflect on their labor, delivery and recovery experience.

During her pregnancy, Tanisha progressed through her uneventful first and second trimesters effortlessly. She was unaware that her daughters birth would be anything else except easy. Before meeting her doula, no one explained to her that they could question their medical team regarding interventions and recommendations during labor. It was upon meeting with Giovanna from Community Doulas of South Jersey, that she realized there were also options for pain relief other than medication, such as massage and meditation.

Labor leads to worry

Once in labor, this information helped Tanisha and Felix feel empowered about the birth. When the doctor recommended Pitocin, Tanisha questioned the reasoning and ultimately decided there was no rush. After all, good things take time! That being said, she did opt for the epidural a little while later after the contractions intensified. She continued to labor with Felix by her side, but at 9cms, she began to have a spike in both her heart rate and blood pressure. Upon hearing this, Tanisha pushed and welcomed her daughter to the world, among a large crew of nurses and doctors.

Unfortunately, their baby came into this world with the umbilical cord wrapped tightly around her neck, having to be cut off immediately. No one told her. It was never said that a Cardiologist was on standby because of Tanisha’s heart rate and blood pressure. They never knew she was receiving Oxytocin so that she wouldn’t hemorrhage. What should have been a joyous moment was filled with fear, anxiety and a medical team doing but not saying, keeping silent the dangers around the corner. Finally hearing her baby cry, they expected that all was well. Instead, her baby was given to her for a brief moment and then taken away to the NICU for breathing support.

Meeting their baby in the NICU

Hours later, Tanisha was recovered enough to meet her daughter. Holding her in the NICU, admist tubes and wires, she and Felix reflected back on the past few hours. Anything could have happened, to her or their baby. She said the experience opened her eyes to just how precious life really is!

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