Home Birth Photography with Celeste Groenenberg of Gentle Mama Holistic Midwifery, Michigan

When Samantha reached out to me for about birth photography at for her homebirth in Ypsilanti, Michigan, I felt an instant connection with her. We both enjoyed birth for many of the same reasons - the power, the rawness, the beauty, the excitement. She had also hired one of my favorite midwives and a dear friend, Celeste Groenenberg of Gentle Mama Holistic Midwifery.
When we met for her maternity session in the woods near my home in Chelsea, Michigan, I knew her birth would be incredible. She was not only prepared for birth, but excited for it too. As someone who has worked with lots of families in the birth space, when you are both prepared AND excited for birth - your birth feels different. The excitement is felt by everyone in the space, and it’s incredible each and every time.

It’s important to write and share birth stories, for visibility and to know that birth CAN be like this. But it’s even more important to share our stories from our clients perspective, it is their story.

Samantha wrote out her story and I’m sharing some excerpts of it with permission.

“Within 15 minutes the pains were 5 minutes apart and I started laboring on the toilet. It was simply the most comfortable place. Breathing through each one. I messaged my midwife again, telling her that it was time to come. I messaged and called my family, telling them it was time to come. I called Jenn, our birth photographer, and told her it was time to come. After everyone was notified I had another pain and I needed to lean into Zack to get through it. I said to myself, “This is it. I’m finally going to give birth to this boy. I need to go get him.” I thought about my other two children sleeping a few feet away, and Zack told me they were awake. It’s so early for them to be awake, I thought. I continue laboring on the toilet, moaning through the pains that were coming every 3 minutes. Each lasted close to 2 minutes. I hear footsteps around the house, I hear footsteps outside the bathroom and in the bedroom, I hear excited voices and my house is filling up. I stay focused and keep repeating in my head, “I need to go and find him, I need to bring him here.” It is our birthright, all birthing bodies, to fetch our children from one world to the next.”

Her story continues through the photo gallery.

Midwife, Celeste Groenenberg of Gentle Mama Holistic Midwifery

“Celeste suggested the birthing stool, which I declined, and then she suggested Zack be like my birthing stool. That he sit on the bed and I squat and lean on him. We assumed it together. I was afraid of this position, afraid it would make me tear. I think I intuitively knew that once Everett started making his way out I would push him out with all my might. Nevertheless it felt good to squat, it felt good to lean against Zack. He latched his hands through mine and continued whispering encouragement in my ear, while my midwives and birth photographer - also a certified birth doula - reassured me and encouraged me to bring Everett down. I moaned through a pain and leaned back again to breathe. I felt Everett and myself at the precipice and knew if I just pushed with the next pain he would come. I was afraid. “This is it,” said my midwife, “The grand finale.” I smiled at those words. Then said “Oh, boy….” through a wince as I felt the big pain coming. Everyone smiled and giggled again, except for me. “

“My uterus started the work for me, pushing him through the birth canal. It hurt so much more than my previous natural birth. I grit my teeth and moaned, which turned into a yell and a scream as I bore down.
A few seconds later Everett’s head emerged. He was here and not, he was between worlds. Zack kept his grip tight and told me how amazing I was doing. With gravity on my side I didn’t wait for the next contraction. I tried to reach down to catch him but the angle wasn’t right and I couldn’t reach him over my belly. “I can’t catch him!” I said, and gave another mighty push with a yell and the rest of him came out.

All of it happened within 4 seconds. Jenn was amazing… she caught these beautiful, powerful seconds with her camera. Midwives are amazing… Celeste caught him as I reached down to grab him and I pulled him to my chest. He was warm and so slippery. His back was covered in a thick, beautiful layer of creamy vernix. Neither Catherine or Beric had vernix on them when they came out. He was covered in so much thick black hair…it was on his head, on his shoulders. I saw his face scrunched up in cries, I felt the umbilical cord on the skin of my stomach. He yelled right away. He was finally here.”

“I wrap Everett in a tartan wool baby blanket I’d ordered especially for him and my family sort of wraps around us. I smell his hair and kiss his head, still wet from my waters. I hold him close and kiss him and nuzzle him for a few moments. I can taste the sweetness of the fluid from his hair and he smells like spring rain. The next moments are precious as everyone glimpses the newest one for the first time, and things begin to calm after the excitement and frantic feel of his birth. I put him to my breast, and Celeste brings me warmed bone broth that I’d prepared with my mother and sister in November. I gulp it down quickly. There are loving hands everywhere, physically and emotionally we all seemed to be holding one another. It felt very sacred, it still does, a soul family together again.”

Samantha had such a beautiful and empowering birth. Homebirths truly are incredible, you feel so safe in your space, your nest, your cocoon. Choosing a team who loves and supports you makes all the difference in the world.

If you are interested in birth photography, my availability is filling up for the year, please reach out asap, there is no better time than now! JenniferMasonPhotography@gmail.com