Atlas | Birth

Atlas’ arrival is the first one I have had the honor of documenting since we moved to Tennessee.

Jess and Dustin were amazing from that start. I emailed Jess with an idea before our consultation. “I was just thinking..” “If you want to write a letter (doesn’t have to be anything long) to the baby.”

Jess - “Yesss I love that idea!”

I got there the day of our consultation and immediately clicked with them. We shared so many laughs and stories. Then it came time to record her reading the letter. I was FLOORED. It was certainly meant to be that I would have this idea with THIS client. Her words to her future daughter were so beautiful, I was holding back tears as I filmed them. I then learned that Jess writes her owns songs (go figure) and plays guitar. She’s lucky that I didn’t have that information prior to, or I may have asked her to write/play something for me to put the video to. ;)

Fast forward — I get a text indicating that Jess may be in labor. I was SO excited. I spent all day glued to my phone waiting for updates and waiting for the “signal” to head that way. When I arrived, I met the rest of her amazing birth team. Angie, her midwife, and Chelsea, her doula. We were all told to help ourselves to anything in the kitchen and that they bought us a rotisserie chicken. (YUM)

Jess handled the first stages of labor so gracefully. She was more concerned about how everyone else was feeling. “Are you okay?” “Are you comfortable?” We had to remind her that SHE was the one in labor. haha. She also offered a “thank you” for literally any act of care or thing she was offered. She really is an angel.

While Jess may not have been able to bring Atlas into this world in the comfort of her own home, she was able to labor there completely. Her midwife helped her make the decision to head to the hospital for more support in case the baby needed it. The staff at the hospital was great. They quickly admitted her and the doctor was in the room within minutes to assist with delivery. Atlas was born perfectly healthy within a couple of contractions and pushes.

“It’s a real freaking baby!” - Jess. This has got to be the best thing I’ve ever heard at a birth.

She is here, all are healthy, and she is in fact a real freaking baby. <3

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