Driftwood + Co Saskatoon Birth Photographer

ALL BOOKED!! I am so excited to work with you beautiful mamas!! ... What are you doing on March 20th? Maybe you feel like snuggling up with your baby or toddler, breathing in that freshness, soaking up that connections, and letting me pause time so you can hold onto a little piece of that sweetness, long after its gone. I got you. On this day only I am offering four (4) Intimate Postpartum sessions at a substantially reduced rate. Why, you may ask? Because I can. So, here's the deets. (Do people still say "deets?") These sessions are regularly $450, but for this day *only* these sessions will be $300, plus PST. And here's what you'll get: - 30-45 minutes of snuggle time in the comfort of your own home - 10 professionally edited digital images, in colour and black and white, with print release - The option to purchase more images, should you choose to - A (perhaps new) appreciation for the beauty of the postpartum body you're living in - A lifetime of being able to look back on this cherished time with the life you created These four spots WILL go fast, so comment on this post to secure yours. (And of course, if you know someone who may want to snag a spot, help them out; tag them below.)

When my oldest was about 4 months old, I took a mama-baby dance class. I didn't have any other friends with babies, and I was struggling with postpartum depression, anxiety, and basically just with keeping this new life alive and well. I figured getting out of the house, being with other mamas, and dancing with my baby in a carrier could only help matters. You guys - I had NO idea. As it turned out, the incredible woman who owned and operated what is now Dry Bones Dance Co wo...uld inspire me, support me, and prepare me for motherhood in ways I could NEVER have imagined. (I could go on about Kirsty for literal days, but I'll save some of the well-deserved accolades for another time.) One of the concepts that she talked about in her classes was the benefits of being skin to skin with our babies. Many of these benefits extend far beyond birth, but are especially important in those first 60-90 minutes after baby is born. Simply holding your baby's body against your own after birth will help calm and relax both the birthing person and baby, regulate baby’s heart rate and breathing, stimulate digestion and an interest in feeding, regulate temperature, promote transfer and colonisation of "friendly" bacteria on baby’s skin from their parent(s), thus providing protection against infection, stimulate the release of hormones to support breastfeeding and bonding, and more. These are the benefits of immediate skin to skin following birth, but they certainly don't end there. Yup, you guessed it - stay tuned ;)

Let's talk newborn exams! Standard practice for "uncomplicated" births in most hospitals in North America is for babe to spend the first hour after birth doing skin-to-skin with a parent. This is that precious Golden Hour I often refer to - not to be confused with those coveted warm, glowing sunset family sessions ;) This hour directly against someone's skin helps regulate your babe's body temperature as their bodies learn to do this for the first time ever, as well as a host... of other benefits. Do I smell a Skin-To-Skin post coming up...? Anyway! After roughly an hour, your care provider will perform what is known as the newborn exam. During this exam, your baby will be carefully looked over from head to toe, and everywhere in between, making sure there are no surprises. One of the things your care provider will look for during your baby's newborn exam is whether your baby has a sacral dimple. A sacral dimple is a small indentation at the base of your baby's spine, usually located right at the top of their adorable little bum. These dimples are present in roughly 3-8% of newborns, and in most cases they are cosmetic and not a cause for concern. Rarely they can indicate underlying health issues, like tethered spinal cords or Spina Bifida. My youngest actually has a sacral dimple! She was tested for a tethered cord because of additional symptoms that were present, but in the end the issues were unrelated, so hers is just cosmetic. A good friend of mine, however, has a child who did have a spinal tether, which was eventually corrected by surgery. So, now you know. As adorable as baby bums are, there's also an actual, honest-to-goodness medical reason for why your care provider flipped your baby over and got a good look at that little tushie. ;)

The "eye goop." Shortly after your baby is born, one of the things your care provider will ask if you consent to is the application of Erythromycin eye ointment, affectionately known as the "eye goop," lol. This thick, antibiotic ointment is applied to the eyes of many newborns. But what is it used for?... A few centuries ago, approximately 10% of newborns would be born with eye infections caused by untreated gonorrhea. Of that 10%, approximately 3% would develop infections in their eyes, some leading to permanent damage, including blindness. Thankfully, over the last couple hundred years, medicine and science have made a few advancements, and we now know that applying medication to the eyes of newborns may result in mild eye irritation, and it has even been perceived by some parents as interfering with parent-infant bonding. In fact, current research indicates that routine application of antibiotic ointment is not effective in preventing chlamydial-induced conjunctivitis. As it turns out, the most effective means of preventing complications in newborns from untreated STIs in the birth canal, is to test the person giving birth and treat any infections present! But don't take my word for it ;) According to the Canadian Paediatric Society, "[prophylactic treatment] with erythromycin...should not be routinely recommended, [and] physicians caring for newborns should advocate for rescinding mandatory ocular prophylaxis laws." If you or your partner are worried about the possibility of untreated STIs, especially gonorrhea or chlamydia, talk to your care provider about testing and treatment, as well as a course of action for once your baby is born. Even for babies born to parents with untreated STIs, the CPS recommends careful monitoring and treatment of symptoms, rather than prophylactic use of antibiotic ointments. That being said, as with all medical concerns, if your newborn develops *any* indications of an eye infection, contact your care provider immediately. #birth #birthphotography #phyisiologicalbirth #doula #saskatoondoula #saskatoonphotographer #saskatoonphotography #yxemoms #twomoms #twodads #parenthood #pregnancy #postpartum #maternity #newborn

I happen to think *all* umbilical cords are awesome, but this one is extra cool. A typical umbilical cord has three vessels - one vein that brings fresh, oxygenated blood from the placenta to baby, and two arteries that return the deoxygenated blood and waste back to the placenta. If a single umbilical artery is discovered during an ultrasound, your care provider may want to follow your pregnancy a bit more closely. That's because it can sometimes be associated with other com...plications, like low birth weight, or heart or kidney defects. However, although single artery umbilical cords are quite rare - occurring in only about 1% of singleton pregnancies - most often they are not cause for concern, and baby is born happy and healthy, just like the baby this cord belonged to!

A father meets his second son, almost two years after burying his first. The silence in this moment was deafening.

Whenever my two-year-old sees me editing she points to the baby and says, "awww, that me!" and I've gotta say, I like her confidence

When you finally hold your baby in your arms and he's even more perfect than you could have dared to dream...

Who else can hear this picture...?

A few weeks ago I shared an image of this beautiful mama holding her new baby and told you how her doula and I teared up hearing her battle cry of "I can do hard things!" But it wasn't just her fight to bring Coen into the world that brought tears to our eyes that night... You see, Coen is not their first baby. Tenille and Andrew have an older child - a daughter named Lennon. Lennon, like her brave mama, is a warrior. Lennon's beads of courage, pictured here, are a symbol of ...her battle with leukemia. A battle she fought alongside her incredible parents. Fought - and won. Lennon, you were born to do great things, and it was an immense honour and joy to watch you supporting your beautiful, fierce mama as she worked tirelessly to bring your baby brother earthside. You wanted so badly to be there for the whole thing, but when daddy explained that they might need to go to the hospital to have baby and that it was time for you to go to grandma’s house for a while, you accepted the change with a grace and maturity beyond your years. Of course you couldn’t leave without packing your teddies - and a snack for mommy. Lennon and Coen, you two will take the world by storm.

Standing guard.

Exhaustion. Relief. Peace. Beauty.... Birth.

Delilah was a *big* help for her mama ;)

Well folks, I'm sick. We made it less than a week into school before one of the kids brought home a cold (it's not Covid, we've been swabbed), and it has hit us HARD. All three of my kids are now sick, but thankfully I seem to have been hit the hardest of the four of us. Better yet, my spleenless husband (did you know spleens play an important role in the immune system?) seems to have the best immunity of us all and has escaped without so much as a sniffle! Because of this, I...'ve been able to squirrel myself away in a basement to myself since Friday, catching up on rest and doing some much-needed recovery. Now that my congestion and my spirits are starting to lift, I am *thoroughly* enjoying being able to get some editing done, but I need to kick this pesky congestion so I can be symptom-free long enough to see clients in person! So tell me, what are your tried and true methods for kicking a cold to the curb?

Knowing he is there, Drawing strength; taking comfort. Preparing herself - for what's to come.

"I can do hard things!!" After a precipitous birth with their first baby, we all guessed that her second birth would be quick. Her midwives, doula, and I were all on high alert as this mama neared her estimated due date, especially since they are a rural family and there was the drive to consider. So when after four days of prodromal labour, a full day of active labour, and with little to no sleep, and over three hours of pushing this mama summoned on the power she knew she p...ossessed and cried out, "I can do hard things!!" her doula and I had to turn our faces so this incredible force of a woman wouldn't mistake the tears in our eyes for anything but pride and sheer awe. Because she did it. She dug deep, drew on her strength, and she ROARED that baby earth side. You can do hard things, mama. You can do anything.

Yesterday I used the "story" feature for like, the second time ever. I had asked whether you would rather see more birth images or some fresh baby pics in your feeds today. Oddly enough, the results were incredibly different on Facebook than they were over on my Instagram! So here's your baby spam, Facebook land.... And since I'm not one to disappoint (or pass up the opportunity to post some birthy goodness), I did that over on IG

Every time I see a baby being swaddled - every time - I sing the following song in my head (to the tune of "Baby Beluga"): "Baby burrito in the deep blue sea..." Does it make sense?... No it does not. Does it get stuck in my head? Why yes. Yes. it. does.

Twenty six Seventeen Seven Twelve... That's how long each of my labours were from start to finish. With my first I was in the earlier stages of labour from 6 am when I woke to tightenings and noticeable pain, until around noon when I tried labouring in the tub for some relief. At this point my contractions were 90 seconds apart lasting over 60 seconds. (For those of you who may not know, that means I had less than 30 seconds of "relief" between each contraction.) After 12 hours of that bullshit I called it and opted for the epidural, something I was hoping to avoid but willing to consider, and she wasn't born for almost another almost 8 hours. With our second, I had made my mind up that I was not having an epidural, because of the side effects I experienced with our first. Our second baby was an induced labour at 23 weeks, and it was a gruelling 17 hours, let me tell you, but I did it. My third labour and birth were the easiest of all four, lasting only 7 hours from first contraction to baby in my arms, and my last labour was 12 hours from start to finish, but less than 2 of those are what I would call active labour. This mama here had an epidural with her first three and had planned on having one with her last, but a busy OR that day meant no available anesthesiologists. It can be scary when our birth plans change or don't go how we envision them, but this mama OWNED that pain med free labour and birth. How long were your labours? Did they happen how you thought they would?

This little man sure lives up to his nickname! (Wait, is that even what it's called when you shorten a name? Like, my name is Briana but my nickname is Bri? Or is Bri just a shortened version...?) Holy sidetrack batman. Anyway!... Any guesses on his name? No prize, except the knowledge that you're awesome ;)

#TuesdayToesies Happy September, everyone. (Nom nom nom.)

Sunset through a placenta? Yep, that happened.

This morning I have some *extra* special images to share with you. What makes them so special, you ask? Well I'll tell you: I didn't take them. (dramatic pause)... "Say what???" That's right. When I wasn't allowed into the OR or recovery room to photograph this little man's birth, we decided I would send my camera in with his mama and edit whatever images she was able to capture while I couldn't be there. Once they were out of recovery, I met up with this mama and mommy and continued documenting their first hours together, and I'm now sitting down to edit their entire gallery, Shannon's pictures and mine. Like so many of my clients, fate brought these incredible women into my life three years ago, and documenting their family as it has grown from the two of them to three and, now, a beautiful family of four has been one of the highlights of my photography career, gaining not only valued clients, but dear friends. So I may be a bit biased in my estimation of them, but I'm just going to say it anyway: daaaaaaang Shannon!!!

Reunited. Coming Home sessions are probably my favourite thing to come out of Covid...

So often you hear from me - how I think/feel about pregnant, birthing, and postpartum people, their bodies, their relationships to eachother and these new little lives they're creating. And while I wouldn't say I necessarily romanticize these processes, I often wonder if the way I present these issues glosses over some of the tougher topics. Topics like, oh I don't know, giving birth during a pandemic... So now I want to hear from you.... If you gave birth during this pandemic or are currently expecting, how are you doing? I mean, how are you really doing? Was your birth experience what you expected? Was it easier or harder than you thought it would be to adjust to the changes brought about by social distancing? Are you appreciating the quiet time with just your nuclear family at home, or are you missing the hands-on support from loved ones? Have you found resources that have been helpful during these uncertain times? If this is your first baby, is this how you'd always pictured this season in your life would be? Is it better? More difficult? Or just...different? Tell me. I *want* to know.

The paradox of the birthing body - at once soft in its smooth, undulating contours, yet teeming with an unparalleled strength.

In the throes. Gathering strength; Digging deep. Summoning the power she doesn't know she has yet - intuitively - knows she has.... It's been hours. It's felt like days. But it's only a matter of moments, now.

As a follow-up from this morning's blog post, this is the story of how Marlow led me to doing what I love. I'd be honoured if you'd have a read https://www.saskatoonbirthphotographer.com//the-birth-of-/

Happy birthday, sweet boy https://www.saskatoonbirthphotographer.com/blog/1-in-4/

...and chances are, if you give Bri a camera, she's going to take a picture of your baby on your fresh, beautiful, postpartum body.

Been a hot minute since you heard from me! Here's some fuzzy baby knees to make up for it. I promise, more baby spam soon