Welcoming Baby Emma

Fresh 48 Photography at Doctor’s Hospital at Renaissance Edinburg, TX

Congratulations to the new parents, Patty and Mark! They were beaming with joy today when we got ready for this Fresh 48 Session.

Her first time daddy was over the moon with his sweet princess.

When I first met Patty, she was radiating and anxiously awaiting the arrival of this sweet little one. Today, she was absolutely glowing as she smiled and held her daughter.

I remember the excitement of finally meeting baby…. it’s such an amazing feeling.

Emma was born on Tuesday, September 3rd, 2019 at 9:17pm. She weighed 6 lbs 12.5oz and is 20 inches long. We photographed Emma in her hospital room at Doctor’s Hospital at Renaissance when she was just shy of 24 hours young.

Emma, you are surrounded with so much love. I’m excited for this little family’s adventure ahead!

Thank you Patty and Mark! Thank you for trusting me to document this very special time of your life. I wish you all the best as you embark on this parenthood journey ahead.

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Are you expecting a little one? Let’s chat about booking your Fresh 48 Session soon! Click here for more info.

Thanks for stopping by the blog today! Feel free to leave this lovely couple some love and well wishes in the comments.

~Norma H

Maternity Photos: The M Family

Julia’s Maternity Session

McAllen Maternity Photographer

As we all anticipate the birth of this little addition, we come together to document the connections between Julia and her sweet family.

I first met Julia many moons ago, when I decided to give cloth diapers a go and she had some wonderful prefolds for sale. Who would have known then (almost 6 years ago!) that we would meet again when I documented the birth of her little Sonia.

Almost two years ago, Julia trusted me to join her birth team and document the peaceful homebirth of Sonia. I still recall the way she held her first daughter for the very first time.

Here we are, almost two years later, documenting her journey with baby #4! I find myself feeling so blessed to be joining them as they embark on this journey as a family of 6 soon!

I’m thrilled for her whole family! Having this new little addition is sure going to be an adventure. Here’s a sneak peek of their maternity session.

The M family came by and spent some time in my little in-home studio. The kids laughed, ran around, gave mama some cuddles while I snapped away.

I hope they had as much fun at this session as I did!

Thank you for stopping by the blog today! If you are ready to document this season of your life, I welcome you to message me. We can make that happen naturally and effortlessly.

~Norma Hess

Why skin to skin is so important at birth.

Skin to Skin/ Kangaroo Care at Birth

McAllen Birth Services

World Breastfeeding Week is August 1-7, 2019. This week on my social media pages, I have chosen to focus on highlighting breastfeeding mothers all over the Rio Grande Valley. I’m a firm believer that normalizing breastfeeding is soooooo important.

How can we normalize breastfeeding? Imagery being shared with friends and family helps. It opens up dialogue on the subject to break up myths that still plague some of our families. Share your experiences, or personal photos and have a conversation with your loved ones (including your kids!)

Today I wanted to focus on the importance of skin to skin time immediately postpartum. I have a FREE PRINTABLE at the end of this post for you too!

Most times, when baby is born, he or she can be placed on your chest moments after being born. In fact, The WHO recommends early and uninterrupted skin-to-skin contact between mothers and infants. Mothers should be supported to initiate breastfeeding as soon as the first hour after delivery according to their website and recommendations. You can read the full set of recommendations here.

How can you make sure you’ll be respected when you request immediate skin to skin with your newborn? There are some steps you can take.

First, you can hire a doula to help you navigate your birth preferences and to support you at your birth or postpartum.

Second, ask questions. Ask your provider if immediate skin to skin is something they promote. Ask your birth facility if the facility itself sets these practices into motion when a baby is born. Ask ask ask.

Your birth team matters and if your provider is not supportive of your preferences, maybe it’s time to look into switching. It’s not too late to switch it up to get the birth you hope for.

Finally, I want to say that skin to skin not only helps you as you establish your breastfeeding relationship with your little one. There are many more benefits that you can read about here.

Thanks for stopping by the blog today! Here’s the free printable I promised you.

Have questions? Reach out to me anytime. I’d be happy to help you or point you in the direction of someone who can assist you if I can’t.

~Norma H

Planning on requesting skin to skin after your birth? Here’s a FREE Printable for you! Click the image to download.

Newborn Session: Charlotte

Welcome home Charlotte!

An In-Home Newborn Photo Session in McAllen, Texas

Back in May, I attended the BT MOPS Community Market. Sojourning Birth donated a session to the silent auction that day and Chloë’s sister Ciara won! #Woohoo! We scheduled the session recently and let me tell y’all. It was soooooooo sweet!

Chloë and I are practically family now. Our lives crossed paths when I met her sweet family through my little brother. I’m so happy that life brought us together!

Not long ago, we all stood in the birth space together as Chloë labored and brought sweet Charlotte earth side. Her birth was so moving and will always stay with me.

Now, little Charlotte is smiling from ear to ear when she hears/sees her daddy. Where does the time go?

And also, is that image of her smile not the sweetest? Ahh!

I wanted to take a moment to show you all a sneak peek of Charlotte’s in-home session. Normally, it’s hard for me to narrow down all the images for these sneak peeks so I hope I picked the perfect ones to show y’all today!

On this very special day, not only did we have Charlotte and her parents, we also had grandma and great grandma join in on the fun! It’s a huge treat to be present for moments like these. It’s so important for our kids to know our families, our traditions, and to be able to keep these memories for years to come.

Thank you for welcoming me for this session G Family!! It was an absolute pleasure to document your day.

Thank you for visiting the blog today! Leave this sweet family some love with a comment.

Are you interested in an easy in-home session to document your loved ones? Let’s chat! These sessions are easy to book, relaxed and you’ll love seeing your authentic images shortly after your session. Learn more here.

~Norma Hess