Birth Photography | Marshfield WI

On March 24th, 2018 at 3:13am I had the immense pleasure of being present to witness and document my niece's birth. Caroline June Burris, the fourth child born to my sister Shannon and brother-in-law Zach, entered the world screaming and just as healthy as can be.

I got to their home in Stratford, WI at about 9:45pm and we left for the hospital shortly after that. I'll never forget Shannon's contractions quickening after only 10 minutes of my being there, making our friend Abby and myself extremely nervous, while Shannon searched for what she needed to pack, like her chapstick. "You need to GO!!" I remember Abby saying. After a 20 minute drive to Marshfield Medical Center in Marshfield WI, where she herself is a labor and delivery nurse, her coworkers welcomed her with such cheerfulness! She was 5cm dilated, and a short 4 hours later Zach was calling out "It's a girl!"

I've been through 2 labors of my own, but being present for my sister's labor was such an incredible experience whereby I got to hear and see her pain and joy in a way I couldn't see mine. I was so honored. Going through pregnancy and then giving birth is such a marvelous thing that I didn't fully understand and give credit to women for until I myself experienced it. Now, I can see other mothers in a totally different light knowing we share that same accomplishment. 

Here are some of my favorite images from Caroline's birth that I was given permission to share. I'm not going to lie that I nearly passed out (literally) during the epidural part....maybe it was partly my bond with my sister, hearing her cries, and part medical stuff that I'm not real good with, but things got quite calm after that :) I'm so proud of my sister for doing this 4 different times with such bravery, and I couldn't have been happier with her supportive team including her husband, her best friend Abby who stayed with the kids overnight, our Mom who was present despite being on call all weekend, and her wonderful group of coworkers. It couldn't have been more perfect.