Lifestyle Newborn Session in Lafayette, Colorado | Sunshine Lady Photography

Welcome, Baby Henry!

Teen and Jens invited me to photograph their newborn baby Henry and I arrived 3 weeks after his birth in their home in Lafayette, Colorado. To say that Teen and Jens are fun, nice, and so cool is an understatement. Both are creatives, Teen an interior designer and Jens an irreverent apparel founder, and were beaming with joy at this cute little human they produced. We spent about 90 mins wandering around their home, capturing their new lives as parents in a authentic and casual manner (the best and only way, in my opinion). After delivering their session, which we both loved equally (see her review 👇), I asked Teen if she might answer a few questions about her experience as a new mom, including her labor story, and luckily for me, she agreed! Keep going to learn more about what she had to say.

Can you share your labor story?

Henry was born at 10:30 on Christmas night. I was due on 12/23 so it shouldn’t surprise me that he was born on Christmas but it still does! Because we knew we could have a baby at any moment we didn’t make any holiday plans. For Christmas, my parents suggested they bring food to us and we thought that sounded great, so on Christmas Day we opened the doors to our house and let my parents host a Christmas dinner for 11. We had a wonderful day but somewhere in the afternoon I started feeling more uncomfortable than usual for an overdue pregnant lady. I was feeling a lot of pressure in my back and it was becoming more uncomfortable to sit on anything but an exercise ball but I thought that just meant the baby was getting lower.

A little later the only way I could get comfortable was to lean on my kitchen counter and sway. At that point, our guests started to get the hint that something was going on and head home. I still didn’t believe it was labor but I called my doula and she suggested I contact the hospital who said I should come in. What?! No way. I was at a point where I thought I would be pregnant forever, how could I actually need to go to the hospital? I knew from the beginning I didn’t want to go to the hospital too early. I was oddly afraid of being turned away or being just far enough along to be admitted and then sit there for hours not able to eat (my nightmare!). Turns out I wasn’t too early...after spending 45 minutes in our tub at home, Jens quickly downloading a contraction timer app and watching what I now knew to be contractions go from 4 minutes apart to 2 minutes apart I decided we better go to the hospital. We pulled up to the ER entrance somewhere around 7:30 PM, as I got out of the car I realized I was about to have a contraction which I was handling best by dropping to all fours so I decide to do just that on the sidewalk in front of the entrance to the hospital which prompts three ER nurses to run out and meet us. I didn’t mean to cause a panic, I just knew I could tolerate the contraction best that way!

After I make it through I stand up and we meet the L&D nurse who reassures the ER nurses and whisks us away to the Labor and Delivery unit. Since I am a first time mom, I get put in a triage room even though things seem to be progressing quickly. Much to my excitement I am 7 cm dilated and I ask if we can use the tub room. Somewhere in the 30 or so minutes we spend in the triage room things really ramp up and I am now desperate to get in the tub which seems to take an eternity to fill. When it is finally ready, I get in but can’t get comfortable. I do about 3 contractions in the water and then I feel like I have to push which is not allowed in the tub so I am back out and laying on the floor so they can check me again...8 cm and feeling very much like I need to push so off to my room we go. Quick pause to say my doula, Jessica, and Jens are being absolutely incredible and both comforting me and helping out a ton!

We get to the room and things are definitely fuzzy from here. I get on the bed and we manipulate it into several different positions. The doctor joins us shortly and I apologize to everyone for making them work on Christmas. I am so glad no one will be telling me I have to wait to push until the doctor arrives but I do have to wait to finish dilating and thinning out- that was rough. Having the urge to push but not being quite ready was like trying to hold back vomit. The doctor suggested breaking my water as a way to get the last little bit dilated and I agree. I feel a wave of warm water but I am mostly keeping my eyes closed at this point. A few more contractions with the peanut ball and it is time to push! Wow, that part was hard! Again with the incredible encouragement of Jens, Jessica and the wonderful nurses and doc, I pushed for 19 minutes and a little boy emerges as I am flooded with relief and love. Jens had thought all along we were having a girl so the first words out of his mouth were “I was so wrong” and I said “so it’s a boy”?! In that moment I felt so exhausted and complete, what an incredible experience! Only a few short hours after having Christmas at our house we were a family of three and it felt so good.

How did it feel to meet your baby for the first time?

Like a huge wave of relief. Relief that I wasn’t in pain anymore AND that we had a beautiful, healthy baby! I also felt very at peace and complete.

What was your favorite part about your newborn session?

How natural it felt. Jens and I both just felt like we were having a conversation with you and playing with our baby.

How did you prepare the baby for our photo shoot?

I prepared by buying a cute outfit for Henry and actually showering and putting makeup on!

How was your experience having your newborn photographed? Were you nervous or worried before? How did it turn out?

Not really, I just didn’t want to wait too long since they change so fast! The photos turned out better than we could have hoped! We love them all!

What would be your advice to someone getting newborn photographs taken?

Work with Kate, talk to a photographer before you give birth so you can get pictures nice and early, have a cute bassinet to take some of your photos in.

What's the first thing that ran through your mind when you both found out you were pregnant?

Finally! And then OMG our due date is going to be the week of Christmas...

What advice could you share to new or soon-to-be parents that no one told you ahead of time?

The extreme lack of sleep period doesn’t last forever! Or even really that long! They grow and change so fast that the absolute hardest part with regards to lack of sleep is over after the first month or so.

Want to schedule your own super chill and natural lifestyle newborn session with me?