When preparing for the monumental day of bringing a child into this world, it is so important to not only choose a birthing location that feels right for your specific needs, but to ensure you are with a provider who is always going to have the best interests of you and your baby in mind.

Last August I had the honor of photographing two all natural births at the Birthing Center of Buffalo, and in addition to being amazed at how strong both mamas were in their labors, I was equally amazed over the hard work, care, and attentiveness that Dr. Katharine Morrison and her assistant, LuAnn, provided to both laboring women and their husbands. In my experience photographing such a variety of birth stories, I've had the opportunity to see different providers in action, both in the hospital and out. And Dr. Morrison was definitely one of the most attentive providers I've had the pleasure of working with.

My hope in sharing birth stories of women throughout the WNY region – regardless of location and provider – is that it helps to break this idea that birth has to be a certain way, or in a certain place, or fall within a specific time frame. After all, each birth story is truly unique and special and we should celebrate all the different ways mamas choose to labor and babies choose to enter this world!

And now some first-hand thoughts from this powerful first-time mama:

Why did you choose the Birthing Center of Buffalo for your labor and delivery?

I chose the Birthing Center of Buffalo because it was a wonderful medium of a comforting homelike atmosphere with the expertise of Dr. Morrison and LuAnn Conte. They also require you to have a doula attend the birth and that was something I was very interested in! I hired Kayla Rogers of Divine Lotus Doula Services and she was wonderful! She made sure to not only to make sure I was comfortable but my husband as well.

What was your favorite or most memorable moment from your birth story or labor/delivery experience?

I think delivering but that’s a given so I’ll go with the next. I remember after I had rested for a while and Audrey was being weighed and measured I was eating these Grapes, triscuts, and hummus. It was the most delicious and mouth watering thing I ever remember eating in my entire life! The grapes we so sweet, the crackers were so crunchy, and the hummus was so creamy!

Why was having your baby's birth photographed important to you?

I have a bad memory so I didn’t want to forget anything about that experience. In hindsight I’m very thankful because I had my eyes closed for a majority of labor so it was great to know after the fact what was happening behind the scenes!

What does having the photos of your labor & delivery mean to you?