07/08/2026
If youve been around a while you know I wear two hats photographer by day doula by night for Wild Roots Birth Collective
Here is the birth story of baby Hudson
It was such an honor to support Lilly through her pregnancy and birth. She is strong, resilient, patient, and kind, and all of those qualities shined through on the day she gave birth.
However, let me back up to our first encounter.
I was having coffee at a local coffee shop and editing photos when I overheard a young mom and her pregnant friend talking about her upcoming birth and her plans and fears surrounding the big day (which is totally normal). I couldn't help myself but walk over and introduce myself because I literally cannot shut up about birth—ever! We talked for almost an hour, and it was pretty much decided then that I would be her doula, with just a month to go until her due date.
I met with them at the Motherhood Lounge a week before her due date and did a childbirth education crash course. Then, on Sunday, 6/28, Lilly texted me saying she was having consistent contractions, but nothing too strong, so she decided to stay home. The contractions faded out around 2:30-ish, but I still went over to see how she was doing, bring a yoga ball, do some side-lying hip releases, and see if we could get the contractions going again.
When we realized that wasn't going to work, I gave her instructions to eat a good dinner, get a good night's sleep, and call me if anything changed.
By 9:00 a.m. Monday morning, 6/29, Lilly was having consistent contractions again, so we went in to be checked and see where to go from there. At noon, she was 3½ centimeters dilated, and by 1:00 p.m. she was 4 centimeters dilated, so it was time to be admitted to a labor and delivery room. Yay!
From here, things escalated very quickly.
A little after 2:00 p.m., the nurse came in to adjust the monitors when she noticed Hudson's heart rate was lower than normal. This can be a normal variation during labor, but when the heart rate doesn't rebound quickly and remain stable, there's cause for concern. Unfortunately, even after trying multiple positions, Hudson's heart rate just wasn't recovering, and the decision was made to proceed with an emergency C-section.
Lilly was rushed out of the room, leaving Michael behind to suit up for the C-section. After reassuring him that everything would be okay and that Lilly was doing fine, we followed the nurses down to the waiting area, where a nurse let us know that the baby's heart rate had recovered. However, they were still moving forward with the C-section.
A few minutes later, another nurse came out and let us know that because Lilly still had feeling even after her spinal, the decision had been made to put her under general anesthesia, meaning no one could be back in the operating room with her.
Seconds later, we heard little Hudson's cries from the operating room, and we all breathed a sigh of relief.
After a few more agonizing minutes, Michael was finally able to go back and meet his son.
Although the day didn't go according to plan, Lilly and Michael handled the adversity with incredible strength and grace, and I am so proud of them. Lilly was an absolute champ coming out of anesthesia, and I stayed to continue helping her breastfeed and navigate any other hurdles.
Lilly has the best support system in her mom, dad, and Michael, so I have no doubt she will be deeply loved and supported throughout her postpartum journey.
It was an absolute honor to be invited into their birth space, and I can't wait to watch them grow on their journey through parenthood!
