I hate that I have to even put this in here!! But because of current Covid restrictions, I am not allowed in hospitals. If you are planning a hospital birth, please check with their Covid policy and see how many people are allowed to attend your birth. Some do allow certified doulas, which I am not. I highly suggest finding a doula who can also take pictures for you.

If you are planning an out-of-hospital birth and end up needing to transfer, and the hospital doesn’t allow photographers… I am so sorry! This super sucks and I hate not being allowed to support my birthing clients! If this happens to you, I will arrange another time to meet with you to make-up the session. This could be in the form of a Coming Home session, a newborn session on at a future date, a check up with your midwife, an herbal bath at the birth center you were planning on birthing at, etc. Note: Refunds are never given due to your birth not going as planned. See the Refund Policy section.

The deposit to hold your spot is always non-refundable, and applies to your total balance. Because birth is very unpredictable, partial refunds are only given if the birth was missed at due to fault of my own. Examples would be: I didn’t answer my phone, I couldn’t make it nor could I find a replacement. Partial refunds are not given if: I miss your birth because it escalated quickly, if your birth didn’t turn out the way you thought it would, if you had to transfer to the hospital, etc.

Giirrl, I am so sorry! I can only imagine how tiring it must be! But, you won’t have to worry about extra fees piling up the longer I’m with you. My fees are flat rate fees no matter what! If you happen to have a longer labor, I may step out for breaks or join your birth team out for dinner. But don’t you worry, I got you! I have been at births as short as 4 hours and and as long as 40+ hours!

I absolutely love it when clients allow me to share some of their amazing birth images on my Facebook and Instagram! Being an artist, anytime I create great work I want to show it off! Sharing your images also allows other potential clients to see my work and judge whether or not I am good for their team. That being said, I 100% respect each and every family’s desire to keep certain images private. This is something that is always discussed when we meet and I always triple check with my clients after they receive their images! I won’t share anything until I have a “Yes, you can share those images” from you.

I prefer to arrive at your birthing location when you are in active labor… and because active labor looks different for everyone, the time that I leave varies greatly. If you are planning a natural home birth, I don’t typically go by your number of dilation alone since most Mom’s don’t always get checked. I do go by your history, how frequent your contractions are, how strong they are, and what the rest of your birth team is doing. If you are birthing at a location other than your house, I may meet you at there. All of these things will be discussed during our first meeting and/or through text when you are having signs labor is near.

Due to high demand, I am only traveling within a 30 minute window of my home in Yuba County. If you would like to hire me but are unsure of the distance, please make sure to send me your address in the inquiry form.

Since I am strictly a documentary photographer, I don’t like to direct in any way or change anything about the environment. However, I have been asked this question enough times that I should probably list it here in the FAQ! If you know hands down you want to share your beautiful images with the world, I highly suggest wearing a bra of some type, or even a long dress/skirt if you are modest. For the Dads… pay attention to what shirt you’re wearing that day. Large print, logos, or the shirts with phrases/puns on them may not be what you want in your photos. I always say, if you want to play it safe, just go with solids!

The short answer is no! The long answer is, it depends. I want to show your story in my photos, that means if you wanted the room to be dark while you were laboring, then my photos will be dark. If I find that I can’t do my job due to the lack of light, I will try to speak to others about turning on a light in a nearby room to spill some light into your birth area. If there just isn’t another way, I will resort to using flash. If I need to use flash though, don’t be alarmed! I will point it towards the ceiling or wall and you probably won’t even notice it.

Only if you want me to! During our in-person consultation we will talk about these things and discuss what you are comfortable with showing in your photos. If you don’t want any crowning/emerging/baby’s-head-coming-out shots, I can adjust where I am standing and get at the right angle to where it’s covered. Keep in mind: These photos are for YOU, not for me. I take my role seriously in what I share on my website and social media – all the photographs you see have been approved by the family. So, if you want all-the-photos, you can have them!

As your estimated due date approaches, you will experience different signs that your body is preparing for labor. I would love to receive text message updates as things start happening so I can prepare the best that I can. If your water breaks and contractions start, call me! If you have the midwife coming over or you are heading to your place of birth, call me! Giving me all the information you will only increase the odds of me making it in time. Keep in mind: I may not always be able to leave last minute without having some preparation. I could be at a shoot, traveling for work or even at another birth! An early heads up is always appreciated.