Justine Michelle Births

Justine Michelle Births Birth Photographer and Filmmaker

Oxytocin—the love hormone. It’s the same powerful hormone that surges during hugs, kisses, and moments of deep connectio...
04/16/2025

Oxytocin—the love hormone. It’s the same powerful hormone that surges during hugs, kisses, and moments of deep connection… and it also happens to be the driving force behind labor contractions.

When a woman feels safe, supported, and truly loved during labor, her oxytocin flows freely, helping her body open and her baby move down. That’s why labor often begins in the quiet of evening, when the world slows down and the atmosphere feels cozy and safe. It’s also why contractions might stall during the car ride to the hospital or just after arriving—because the feeling of safety and familiarity has been interrupted.

If you’re supporting a mother in labor, know that your presence matters deeply. Speak softly. Touch gently. Let her know you're there, completely and without expectation. If you're her partner, your love is medicine. Kiss her tenderly. Whisper that she’s beautiful, strong, and that you're in awe of her. Dance with her. Breathe with her. Simply be with her.

Your own calm energy, your scent, your heartbeat—all of it weaves into the space. So before you enter her birth space, whether it’s at home, in a birth center, or at a hospital, pause and check in with yourself.

Are you calm? Grounded? Loving?

Because how she feels changes how labor unfolds. And your presence can help her feel held, safe, and ready to bring life into the world.

She stands still, gazing at the birth tub—steam rising softly, the water calling to her with the promise of warmth and c...
04/14/2025

She stands still, gazing at the birth tub—steam rising softly, the water calling to her with the promise of warmth and comfort. She knows the water will soothe her, cradle her, offer a moment of relief. But it’s not just water. It’s not just a tub. It’s a threshold.

To step in is to say yes—not only to the comfort, but to the labor, the surrender, the strength it will take to bring her baby earthside.

She lingers in that space between knowing and doing, between fear and courage. She longs to hold her baby, to feel that weight in her arms and know it’s done. But before joy, there is work. And she feels that truth in her bones.

So she breathes. She waits. She gathers herself.

And then, with a quiet resolve, she steps in. Into the water. Into her power. Into the moment she’s been carrying in her heart.

There, in the sacred stillness, she lets go—and rises. Her body opens, her spirit roars, and she brings her baby forth into the world… into her waiting arms, into love.

I have been on a journey to becoming a midwife since I was 9. My little brother passed away when my stepmom was 8 months...
02/15/2025

I have been on a journey to becoming a midwife since I was 9. My little brother passed away when my stepmom was 8 months pregnant due to HELPP syndrome. Since then, I always knew I was supposed to help women with childbearing. I was in the process of enrolling in a midwifery school in the Philippines when I was 20 but suddenly the Lord asked me if I could give Him my plans for midwifery and the intention of going to this school up for Him. I said yes, and a week later, my now husband asked me to date him. If I had gone on to the Philippines it would have changed the course of my life entirely! 4 months later, my husband asked me to marry him and 6 weeks after that we were married! Then, SUPRISE! I got pregnant on our honeymoon and became a mama to my first sweet baby girl 9.5 months later. The Lord had me lay down my plans and desires so he could fulfill an even bigger one; to be a wife and mama. Now 14 years and 7 kiddos later, the Lord has opened the door for me to begin working towards midwifery more purposefully. I have been learning and gaining experience through the years, but now I have been giving the opportunity to apprentice with a beloved midwife. I am still on a slow track for now, my youngest is only 1 and I homeschool my kiddos so there is only so much time and energy I can devote. In order to make room for this incredible opportunity, it means I have to limit the amount of photography clients I take on each month so that I can attend more births overall and get to know the mama during prenatal visits. So with that, I want to share my current availability for 2025. If you are interested, please let me know; I would love to chat with you about your birth plans and see if we are a good fit!

Nothing can compare to these sweet moments when you look into your newborns eyes and begin learning all about them as th...
02/13/2025

Nothing can compare to these sweet moments when you look into your newborns eyes and begin learning all about them as they snuggle in close to your familiar warmth and sounds.

02/05/2025

If anyone local has anything to offer to this mama, please let me know.

I wish that the rest of the story was as wonderful. I have debated about whether or not to even share the rest because i...
12/23/2024

I wish that the rest of the story was as wonderful. I have debated about whether or not to even share the rest because in order to preserve the first part as beautiful I have separated the two in my mind. But, I realize that while I wish this wasn't my story, it is. And just like I would tell any of you, it is worth sharing, even if just for your own sake of processing through it by putting it into words. And that by acknowledging the hard parts, the good ones look even sweeter.

However, if you are not in a place to read about birth/postpartum complications then please feel free to skip this part.

While waiting for the placenta I began to grow uncomfortable sitting in the birth tub. I wanted to relax in my bed and not worry about his face being so close to the water. Once in bed, my placenta came out. I dry and cozy and allowed Jonathon to nurse. And then blood clots. No big deal, that's normal. But then more and more and more clots and bleeding. I felt fine but it did start to feel like it was a lot. Especially because I don't typically bleed very much at my previous births. The only time I've hemorrhaged was during a miscarriage and I had a birth in between then and now. It really wasn't too dramatic. I massaged my own uterus. I drank motherwort infusion and took tinctures to help the bleeding stop and it did stop.

Then I needed to p*e but was very lightheaded so we spent an hour or so creatively trying to get me in a position to p*e without walking to the bathroom and we were finally successful when I got to my rocking chair. IT was quite comical how much I had to p*e as we all tried to keep it contained on chux pads and not let it soil my chair. SUCCESS! And soon I was able to make it to the bathroom without feeling faint.

We checked my blood pressure expecting it to be low due to hemorrhaging but surprisingly it was quite high. I agreed to keep monitoring it thinking surely it would resolve itself soon. But it didn't. It got worse and over the course of 4 days we did everything we could to treat it naturally and at home. But after a blood test revealed liver enzymes, and no progress, I knew it was time to seek medical help.

I spent 48 hours in the hospital on magnesium and blood pressure medications while the Drs were puzzled as to what exactly was going on. They never really had an answer for me, but the medications worked. I surprised the Drs with my very fast recovery and was off medication in a week without any hiccups since. It was all really odd, and I still have no answers as to why I potentially developed postpartum pre eclampsia or if I really did. I spent Christmas Eve in the hospital and Christmas in bed feeling very awful. It made our postpartum time difficult. Even though my BP was normal again, I was now anemic from hemorrhaging and still very weak. So the overall road to recovery was slow.

This year is riddled with moments of beauty and difficulty squished together side by side. I am sure the Lord has reasons and purpose to it all that time will reveal. The Mountain song has been our family's anthem going on 2 years now. Even my new logo is inspired by the part in the song, "Then came the Sunshine, The Clouds rolled back and color filled the Earth. ...and the toil and the struggle showed its worth."

Eventually I could feel I was getting close to the end. I opted to get back into the birth tub. Oh it felt so good. Soon...
12/22/2024

Eventually I could feel I was getting close to the end. I opted to get back into the birth tub. Oh it felt so good. Soon after getting in the tub, my favorite song, "The Mountain Song" by came on. It was divine timing! It brought so much joy and laughter to the room as my husband and I chuckled and my kids sang along. "Why do people climb mountains? Is it just to reach the top and see the view... Every rock and every river, every sore and every splinter, I would climb every mountain with you!" It was just the perfect encapsulation of this whole experience of labor and even the ending of a difficult year. All the emotions came flooding in, you just can't help but feel joy being surrounded by so much love from the most amazing people!
Before the song was over a new wave came along, one that was bringing my baby down and starting to cause my body to begin pushing. I could tell this baby was big, I felt so full. As I began crowning, I pushed with my body in hopes of getting him out all at once, but this one needed more effort. He slowly began to emerge tiny bit by tin bit. The wave ended and I took time to breathe before the next. As it came, I quietly felt the head emerge. I reached down to feel it and it felt like a hard ball inside of a strong slimy water balloon and I realized that my water never broke. He was coming out en caul! My wave dissipated and I relished in the moment laughing at the though of my baby being born in its sack. Shortly the next wave came and I pushed with my body as the rest of him came out into my arms and I quickly brought him up and out onto my chest! He was finally here and he cried a lustrous cry that make my heart leap! Oh what joy I felt as I smelled, and touched and rubbed his face on mine. We made sure all the kids were around before looking to see if he was a boy or girl and as I am sure you noticed already, he is a BOY! So thankful for my sweet Jonathon.
The final part to be continued...

I swayed to music with my husband and I sang my favorite songs. I used the same playlist I created with my 5th baby and ...
12/21/2024

I swayed to music with my husband and I sang my favorite songs. I used the same playlist I created with my 5th baby and enjoyed worshipping the Lord through labor. Eventually I couldn't vocalize anymore and my friends (my birth team) began singing. It was so incredibly lovely to hear their voices worshiping Jesus in the midst of labor. I felt like I was surrounded by angels, probably was. I felt so very loved and carried through labor.

I had hand picked each person in the room. And every one of them knew my wishes. I wanted Kara and Summer to physically support me. They made sure I was hydrated, fed, and they rubbed my arms and back through contractions. Their touch and presence was so comforting, knowing that other mothers who knew the journey I was on, were right there with me, witnessing mine. They saw me and knew I could do it.

My midwife was there in the background, where I asked her to be. A quiet guardian of my space. She watched quietly from the outskirts of my room. I could feel her quiet presence, reassuring me all was well.

And my husband, my rock, stood beside me. Always available for me to lean into, quick to encourage me and tell me he was proud of me. When the wall would creep closer, where you I felt I couldn't go on, he knew I was approaching and had just the right words and touch to assure me I could in fact go through it.

And then my kiddos surrounded me. Quietly they would approach and give me some small loving touch. My daughters held my hand and my son gave me a little kiss. I love having them near me, they remind me of the prize I would soon be receiving.
To be continued...

Sometime in the morning on December 18th, I woke up to contractions. I waited a few minutes to see if they were going to...
12/21/2024

Sometime in the morning on December 18th, I woke up to contractions. I waited a few minutes to see if they were going to stick around and sure enough they picked up strong and consistent, how my labors usually begin. I didn't sleep well that night so I was a little bummed that I didn't have more energy and I was in a weird mood at first. I was really hoping that since I had already had about 6 hours of labor a couple days before that labor would be super fast now. But it didn't seem that way. I was emotional, grumpy, and not really enjoying the journey and then I was frustrated with myself for being that way! My birth team arrived again and while I was happy to see them and have them with me I also was so incredibly tired! I looked at my bed and everything inside me just really wanted to climb into bed and sleep. At first I resisted, thinking if I laid down, labor would take longer and I really just wanted to be done. But I needed to listen to my body and surrender the timing, the time frame, the way it looked...al of it. I needed to let go. So I laid down for a nap...and I slept HARD! When I woke up I felt a twinge of guilt that I had called everyone over and now hours later they probably all left and I'd have to call them back. To my surprise, everyone was still here! I got up with renewed energy and mentality and I was ready to have this baby! I was excited and cheerful and welcomed the contractions from that point on. I was oblivious to the time...apparently I only slept for about 15 minutes!! It felt like hours!! No wonder everyone was still there! I am so grateful I listened to my body and took that break because it made the rest of my birth so very beautiful!
To be continued.

Birth of Johnathan Pt.2 After my first birth, all the rest of my labors have been about 3.5 to 4.5 hours long. And of co...
12/20/2024

Birth of Johnathan Pt.2
After my first birth, all the rest of my labors have been about 3.5 to 4.5 hours long. And of course I know that just because they were all that fast doesn't mean this one would be exactly the same. But after 6 hours of laboring with my birth team all here labor just didn't seem as strong anymore. And it was a weird feeling. I started to feel like I needed to perform or do something to make it kick into gear. And then I realized this is not how I want to have a baby. If my body was going to slow down then I was going to let it and enjoy the extra time with my family and let my friends have enough time to get here. So my birth team started to pack up thinking they would only be gone for a couple of hours. While they were packing I sat down in my rocking chair and minute by minute I started not feeling well. And then it dawned on me that I have a fever and I feel sick. I tried pushing off the thought not wanting to accept it. I really did NOT want to be in labor while sick or have a newborn while sick! But as the hours passed with strong contractions every 20 to 30 minutes it became apparent that not only was I sick, but so my husband and a few of my kids! And then the contractions on top of feeling so ill were frustrating and I hoped and prayed for them to stop. By late afternoon, our friends arrived and early evening my contractions stopped. Oh thank you! I could finally rest and just work on getting better before labor came back! The next 2 days I recovered, thankfully the sickness was fast moving and on the 19th we went to tour our friends new property they were buying only 5 minutes from us! Walking around their property started giving me contractions and I sort of felt that labor was going to be returning soon. And sure enough it did the next morning.
To be continued.

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