The Birth of Hazel (in Quarantine)

[Due Date: May 2, 2020] 

Tuesday, May 5th- 4:55am.

“Hi Jenn, we think it’s started—Sarah’s been having contractions for the last couple hours” 

I am awake. This text is from Sing, whose wife will be having a baby girl today. Around 6am, I check in again, after I’ve showered and gotten all my things together (which have been together for weeks. Organized in piles on my kitchen floor). This time is really for me to prepare for stepping outside for the first time in 43 days. I have self-isolated for the safety of the family I am about to photograph and today I will finally be able to go outside in a world that is unfamiliar to me. 

I open the shade on my window because the best way to start this day is with a sunrise. It’s beautiful. Pale pink and perfect. 

I leave the house at 6am. I am told Contractions are about 5 minutes apart. I arrive right at 6:30am as Sing is opening the shades and he waves through the window. I spray everything I have with disinfectant before entering the house. Then I head to change my entire outfit. I had emailed weeks before saying I would do this. I had taken a car to them and who knows how many people had been in it before me. Now the day begins. 

I can hear Sarah having a contraction upstairs. I feel her deep breathes and can visualize a slight sway in her body. She walks partly down the stairs and say hi, let’s me know her son is asleep, and asks if I’d like a coffee. It turns out, I want nothing more.

Sarah is glowing. She looks rested even if she’s not. As she settles into the kitchen, she pauses every few minutes to work through a contraction all while grinding coffee beans. Then she does a pour over. Honestly, it’s a great cup of coffee and so welcome after making my own coffee every day for the last month and a half. 

We relax for a bit, chatting and discussing how long we have been quarantined and how we prepared for it. We cross-check the fastest delivery services and who is delivering the best produce and meat. Not your usual conversation but so vital when you can’t leave your home. At this point I had only been using grocers that could deliver the same day due to being on-call. It’s been a challenge. 

Around 7:30 am Sarah’s mother arrives, her son Milo wakes up and bagels are delivered for breakfast. Everyone settles into a few rounds of animal bingo and memory. The morning is very casual and calm. While everyone plays, Sarah has contractions at the table. Occasionally getting up to grab food for Milo.  Around 10:45 we head up to the bedroom where Sarah will labor. Her contractions are getting much more intense. Sing calmly stands near his wife clearly trying to gauge when he should call the midwives in. It is not long after the pool starts filling that Sarah says to make the call. 

11:30- Two midwives arrive. I can’t express how nice it is to be around people again. Better yet, people who have all come together to support this family. The midwives are prepared. Jumpsuits on. Hair tied tightly back with clips and headbands. They are wearing Masks and gloves (which remain on for the entirety of their stay). It is lovely to see all the precautions they have taken to be with this family. 

For about 2 ½ hours we watch Sarah labor in the pool. She and Sing hold hands. Milo runs through the room every now and then, leaving once he realizes we are just sitting there. Around 2pm it becomes clear the baby is close, so we all shuffle places in the room, coming in closer to the pool. 

At 2:17pm, after 12 hours of labor, Hazel is born. She has a full head of dark hair and is calm. The room settles. the water in the pool is still and Milo comes to meet his sister, toy in hand to give her. We spend the next hour and a half getting to know Hazel. She is sweet and so pink. Her skin is peeling. It’s coming off her torso and the tips of her toes and fingers.  I’ve never seen it before and the midwives tell us that this is because she is over 41 weeks. It’s fascinating what you learn at births.

I could not have asked for a better birth to shoot during this quarantine. It brought a sense of calm and gave me hope.  

xJenn

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