Parents have shared the glory of their child’s birth through the lens of professional photographers for many years.

In a new series, we are focusing on one story at a time, emphasizing the variety of birthing methods and the uniqueness of each family’s story. Wilkenson describes in her own words how unpredictable childbirth can be, regardless of the number of times one has experienced it. I have five 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren. My oldest child is six years old, and I’ve had four children within the past four years. It’s been fascinating!

After having my first child in a hospital, I’ve had all successive children at home. My first u lasted approximately 24 hours, and I believe it would have lasted longer if I hadn’t been given Pt. Then I had approximately two hours of t with my second drink. Perhaps I was three when I had my third child. My fourth labor lasted 14 hours and was exceedingly painful from the beginning. Due to this, I went into my most recent birth expecting the unexpected, but with a clear idea of what I desired, if possible. I desired for my spouse to receive the baby. And it was crucial for me to find some peace and calm immediately after the birth of the baby. I was anticipating a 41-week pregnancy because that’s how long my first and third pregnancies lasted, but I’d been feeling quite ill from 36 weeks on.

At 39 weeks pregnant, I went to bed as usual and awoke approximately 45 minutes later to a t tt and ts ssu. I felt as if the infant was present. I have had some really fast s in the past, but I’ve also had some really lengthy ones, so I had no idea what was occurring. My spouse asked me, “Are you going to have a baby right now?” after I roused him up. My tts occurred every three minutes. When he questioned me, I had a tt t and began to s. I pondered, “Oh my goodness, did I essentially awaken in transition?”

We had discussed with my what to do if things moved quickly, as I’d previously experienced swift s. So we had this limited opportunity to prepare ourselves. My neighbor, who lives approximately 45 minutes away, arrived on time, so we did not have to. My tts were extremely close together, and I recall thinking, “They need to slow down because I cannot handle this.” 14 hours after my last, I was still preparing myself for the prospect of doing this, despite the fact that everyone else seemed to comprehend how close I was. I jumped into the bathtub. My spouse and I were of the opinion, “Sure, Ash, whatever you say.” In the water, things were s ut t at first, but then they became extremely tt. And it was evident that they were not dilation tts. They were tts for delivering the infant.

I stepped out of the bathtub, and he was born within a minute and a half. My husband was able to capture him, and I simply held and observed him for some time. He is such a calm infant. I adore that I can see it in these photographs, despite his pouty expression. Since birth, he has possessed such a pleasant disposition. It is difficult to express how incredible it was to have him here. It was one of the greatest pleasures I have ever felt. To see him, to learn that he was a boy, to hold him on my chest, to hear him wail, to see his features, and to finally be done with the incredibly long and difficult journey of.  I soaked up all the cuddles, sobbed uncontrollably, and was so pleased and appreciative that we did it!

The children slept through the entire event. We had an acquaintance who was willing to supervise them if necessary, and we were open to their presence if they desired it or their absence if they preferred. However, they awoke approximately four hours after the birth of their child. They were thrilled to say “hi” to the baby, but then they wanted to go to my sister’s house, so they simply left. I took a snooze. Now that I’ve completed this task five times, I’ve learned to expect the unexpected and to be okay if nothing goes as “supposed” to go. It is similar to having so many children near together. Occasionally, we exclaim, “Oh, my goodness, this is crazy!” But our ʜᴇᴀʀts are filled. This and birth were so different from what I had hoped and imagined for the entire, but after he was born, I was so proud of myself and satisfied with how everything had transpired. I see the hand of a Gtu inscribed all over the birth story of the baby.