2020 Birth Photography Image Competition Winners!

IAPBP 2020 Best Birth Photos!

The 2020 IAPBP Winners were announced! Have you been following this contest?

#IAPBP2020Competition #BirthPhotogs @BirthPhotogs

Remarkable images were entered into this year’s IAPBP Birth Photography Competition. This year’s first place winner is VI-Photography with her photograph “A Moment of Silence.” Way to go! This moment she captured is breathtaking. I can almost feel the calm in the room and that sigh of “I did it!”

Check out the rest of the winners. Let us know if you have a favorite. We’d love to know which photograph moves you.

Best in Birth Details Winner is Bree Garcia of J&B Photography, LLC with her image titled: “Warrior.”

Best in Delivery is Alexandria Mooney of Alexandria Mooney Photography with her image titled “Unmasking The Many Layers Of Birth.”

Best in Fresh 48 is Natalie Weber of Natalie Zepp Photography with her photograph titled “Denial.”

Best in Labor goes to Shea Long of Coastal Lifestyles Photography with her photograph titled “Morning Light Creeps In.”

Best in Postpartum goes to Kristi Visscher of Kinship by Kristy with her image titled “Vernix Constellation.”

What an incredible collection of images, right? This year is the 10th year that IAPBP hosts this birth image competition. I bet that as you scroll back through the years, you’ll notice that the artists just keep getting better and better at documenting all the details that make each birth unique.

As artists, we are working collectively to bring birth to a new light so that the generations to come can embrace the raw beauty that comes with it.

Birth is sometimes a taboo subject among families or communities which can then lead to a fear of the unknown. Details aren’t always talked about but these images bring light to those very details we need to take control of our own lives. To empower ourselves with knowledge so we can take on our own journey with confidence.

Let’s celebrate all these incredible winners and all the artists around the world dedicated to normalizing birth again. It’s a huge team effort and I’m so proud to be standing side by side with all these amazing artists.

#celebratethebeautyinbirth #normalizebirth

~Norma H

Your birth provider: Are they the right one for you?

Choosing your birth provider in the Rio Grande Valley

Doulas are a great source of support for your upcoming birth. One of those ways we as doulas can support you is by introducing questions you can bring up at your next appointment with your provider. 

Sometimes we select our provider because they were recommended or have been a part of our lives for a really long time. That doesn't always mean they are the right fit for us. (Now, they very well could be the perfect fit, we are certainly are not trying to pull you away from your fave provider at all.) Asking questions can help you see how their own way of practicing will serve you on your birth day.

Example questions: 

Do you follow evidence-based birthing practices? 

Do you differentiate between high and low-risk pregnancies? If yes, how?

What can I expect my birth to look like (typically speaking) if I am a low-risk patient? 

What is your cesarean birth rate? 

EDIT*

Add questions about the current Covid-19 restrictions at your provider’s hospital. Such as:

Will they allow you to have a doula + your partner?

When do you get tested for Covid-19?

Is baby separated from you and your partner if you are positive for Covid-19?

Will baby be allowed immediate skin to skin time despite a positive Covid-19 test result?

You may think of other questions that may be very relevant to how you wish to birth your baby. Ask them. You are well within your rights to ask what you need to ask to get to know your provider a little better. This allows you to explore the person who will be assisting you when you bring your baby earthside (it’s a pretty big deal.) Birth matters. Having the right provider matters.

Another way to really hone in on where your provider stands on certain issues that may be important to you would be to prepare a birth plan and present it early(ish) on in your pregnancy. A birth plan does not guarantee that your birth will go exactly as planned. It will, however, open up dialog between you and your provider. Once they review it, you will find out whether they are on board with all the things you wish to achieve or ask for at your birth. Examples: Delayed cord clamping, free movement while laboring, no episiotomy, no induction unless absolutely necessary, etc. 

If you need some help creating your birth plan, feel free to reach out to me. You and I can sit down, talk about how to put one together and maybe I can assist you if you need a little guidance. You can also check out this link which will allow you to build a visual birth plan for your own birth. Click Here.  My most recent client loved her plan and her providers found it super easy to read while they got ready for the pushing phase.

Again, you simply want to open up dialog and find out if you are with the right provider for you.

You are hiring them for their services and if their services are way off base with how you wish to birth your baby, then it may be time to explore others.

Have any questions for me? Shoot me a message, I’d love to chat.

~Norma Hess

Sojourning Birth