As a birth photographer in Houston, I have the honor of witnessing and documenting a defining moment in many new parents’ lives. While each and every birth I photograph is special, this surrogate birth story is perhaps the most emotional birth experience of my photography career.
You may remember this family and surrogate mother from their beautiful maternity session. As we talked and I got to know Skylar and Collin, they bravely shared some of their experience that has brought them to this point with their incredible surrogate. It’s safe to say they have been through a lot to grow their family.
Surrogate Birth Session | Houston Birth Photographer
This day, the birth of their baby boy has been a long-awaited moment for this family. It’s truly the most incredible and beautiful gift. Seeing Skyler, Collin, and baby- together with their surrogate and her husband- was something I am so very thankful to be able to document.
I know this sweet baby’s birth will be forever ingrained into all of their memories. It is my hope these images will serve as a reminder of how very loved this baby is, and to remember the raw emotion and details if they get fuzzy over the years.
Not only was this session special thanks to the incredible gift this sweet surrogate has given this family, but it was also the first I was able to do at The Women’s Hospital of Texas after the craziness of Covid. It felt so good to be back in these halls!
Waiting for Baby
On the evening before the baby’s birth, the surrogate mom was admitted to the hospital and started on Pitocin. Skylar received a call around 10 PM saying that she was experiencing pretty regular contractions so they headed to the hospital!
When they arrived, doctors decided to break the surrogate’s water. We chatted briefly and I went over all of the next steps as contractions begin to get stronger. A few hours later, around 4:15 AM, my client texted to say the surrogate was dilated to 5 cm!
Typically I start heading to the hospital when my client is 6 cm dilated, however with us inching closer to rush hour in Houston, I decided to leave shortly after I texted with her. Thankfully, it was perfect timing!
Preparation for Intended Parents During a Surrogate Birth
The wonderful thing about a surrogate birth is that Mom and Dad are provided their own separate hospital room at Texas Women’s Hospital. It really helps to give them their own hospital experience with their newborn before everyone is discharged to go home.
When I arrived, I met Skylar and Collin in their room and started documenting a few minutes of their wait to becoming parents.
Mom had taken several supplements to induce milk production so that she would be able to breastfeed when her baby arrived. She was also setting up a supplemental nursing system as I arrived which helps to provide additional milk while nursing at the breast. It was really an amazing option to help Mom have that bonding experience with her baby.
The Birth
At this point it was finally time for the surrogate mother to push! We all headed next door to her room to await baby boy’s arrival. This was perhaps the most memorable few moments I’ve experienced as a birth photographer in Houston. There was so much anticipation, my eyes (and camera!) were drawn to Skylar and Collin’s reactions.
There wasn’t a dry eye in the room when baby boy made his entrance. It was truly such a joyful experience to witness. It was so important to me to document the moment Collin cut the cord- he was so excited!
As baby was put into Skylar’s arms, it was such an intensely emotional moment. After everything they had been through to get to this point, she was finally holding her baby boy. These are the moments why I love birth photography. It was truly so special!
Once baby was cleaned and all measurements were taken, Skylar and Collin both held baby. The surrogate was able to hold him, too! It was so sweet as she and Skylar took in all of his little features together!
Rest and Recovery
We then transferred back into their hospital room to let the surrogate mother rest. It had been a long night so Skylar and Collin changed clothes and got comfortable in their room.
At this point we were able to get more of those traditional Fresh 48-style portraits of the new family of three!
This birth was such a special experience to be a part of. Thank you Skylar and Collin for allowing me to document this big milestone for you!
Kelly of Lifetime of Clicks Photography is a newborn, maternity, family and birth photographer based in Katy, TX. Service areas include Houston, TX as well as Katy, Sugar Land and surrounding communities.
Interested in learning about how to have your birth story captured? Click here to view three different ways to document the beginning of your baby’s life. Kelly provides a luxury, stress-free photography experience which includes custom album and wall art designs for your home. If you’re interested in booking a session, contact me here!
