In Review: November 2016 through March 2017 /March 23, 2017 by Meredith Westin

What a random collection of months, eh? This was originally going to be a birthday post: a collection of my favorite images from my first few months as a birth photographer starting back in November and going into March. It still is a collection of my favorites, of course, but I'm posting it a few weeks before my birthday because, well, it's my blog and I do what I want. I included a small caption on each image and, while I wish I had insightful things to say about each of these photographs, what I mostly have to say is, "Eeeeee! Baby! Cuuuuute!". I so enjoyed making these images, I'm looking forward to capturing more birth stories for families in Minneapolis and St. Paul, and I hope looking at these photos gives you a bit of insight into why I love doing what I do.

xo,

Mere

can't you just *feel* the love oozing out of your screen?

my first time in an operating room. mama was tearfully glad to meet her boy and dad was sweetly supportive of her during her surgical birth

"let's unwrap him and see who he looks like!"

look at all that hair!

look at those adorable inky feet

anticipating her every need

the look on her face as she watched her husband hold their son for the first time brough me to tears in the operating room

experiencing a contraction with her birth team right there with her

well HELLO to you too, little love

i love that we were able to capture her belly one last time - imprints from the fetal moniters and all - before baby came

this kiddo came out of the womb with a perfectly pouty lower lip

soaking up their new little one

floppy baby feet and a fuzzy daddy belly

taking it all in - look at those tiny fingers!

walking the halls to kickstart labor. he was telling us about his proposal to her, she was cracking up at the memories they share

these two were wonderfully, gleefully excited to meet their babe

intake. little did they know that baby would be in their arms less than three hours later!

he was right there with her through every contraction

i always cry when mamas cry. so sweet

this was my first time shooting in an operating room. the anesthesiologist was a total hard ass about letting me in the room but became super sweet and helpful once i was actually in the room.