Jennifer Mason Photography

The Natural Birth of Twins at University of Michigan Hospital and with Colleen of Forest River Midwifery

This birth story is a big one! The birth story of Twins. A planned homebirth, turned hospital birth. Please give this video a 'like' or 'comment' or even a share. <3 Let's show the world that twins can be born vaginally in the hospital and that families can have their wishes honored, even when it's out of the hospital's comfort zone. January 14, 2024 - the night of the snowstorm. We haven't had much snow in Michigan the last two winters, but of course, this was the night that it all happened. My clients water broke around 3am - just a month shy of her due date with twins, a girl and a boy. Baby A Baby B. Jenni was planning a homebirth for her twins, but when her water broke before the 36+ 5 mark, (the point she felt comfortable having her babies at home) she decided the hospital was the safest place for her babies. She called me just after 3am to let me know that her water had broke, contractions had started and her midwife, Colleen of Forest River Midwifery, was coming to check her and if things were still slow, they would go to the hospital. During this time, dad was trying to get their car out of the driveway, but as I mentioned, the snowstorm/ice-storm made it more difficult and he got stuck. They had to call 911 to get their vehicle unstuck so that they could go to the hospital. In the meantime, their midwife had arrived and my client was 4cm and contractions were coming. The window to go was closing, it was now or never. Can you imagine how stressful that was? My clients gathered their things and drove with their midwife to the hospital. I left my house shortly after they did and walked into U of M just as they were walking in. Things had picked up significantly in the car and even more in triage. I knew these babies were coming SOON. Triage took a long time and I really thought the babies might be born there, but we finally got a room and were able to head that way. The hospital didn't want to give a twin mom a tub room because "

Birth workers are here for you. Day or night, good weather or bad. We are here. I think sometimes people forget what they are asking ‘on call’ Birth workers to do. And I want to share a snippet from January. This is more than a job. This is a lifestyle. This is a lifestyle that my whole family takes part in. My husband often gets up with me in the middle of the night to scrape off my car, so I can leave and drive safely. When my kids are home, they help get my camera bag and my snacks packed. They check in on me by texting me and saying “how are you doing Mom?! We love you, mom!” And all of my friends are Birth workers because they know how amazing and hard this lifestyle can be. We leave the house and never know when we will be home. I’m so grateful to have a community of Birth workers and Birth photographers both near and far that helps support me and I help support them. This work really is SOUL work and you have to be called to do it. i’m grateful to have my friends near and far to support me in this work, and I hope that I am able to support them too! Thank you to all the birth photographers, doulas and midwives who are out there, doing their thing. If you’d like to learn more about birth photography, you can click the link in my bio and check out our Essence of Birth of Course, which is an online Birth photography course for new and aspiring Birth photographers. Community makes this work so much more fun and the community at @birthbecomesyou is one that I’m grateful for.

As a birth photographer, doula, and birth filmmaker, I live by the motto “Babies come when they come. and they come when they are ready.” This birth embodied both of those statements. My clients rely on my preparedness and readiness at any given moment. One such instance was when Rachel called me to her birth in December, contracting regularly at just 37 weeks. After several hours at her house, the contractions had not progressed, and Rachel could finally get some well-needed sleep. We all rested and waited, but the contractions slowed way down. We made the decision to go and let the family rest. As it turned out, Rachel was pregnant for another month. She texted me that contractions had started and it wasn’t long before I left for her house. Upon my arrival, the urgent scream of a person in the throes of childbirth filled the air. Racing up the stairs, I was met with the sight of Rachel in the bathroom on the toilet, smiling through the intensity and Savannah their midwife, poised to catch the baby who was arriving with surprising speed. 🩷 You can read the rest of the story on my blog - link in bio.