I get asked all of the time, what's your favorite session to shoot? Although I love every session for it's own reasons, raw motherhood will always hold that special place in my heart. Raw motherhood sessions make my heart sing. The strength, patience, and love of a mother is often overlooked and under appreciated, but OH SO IMPORTANT. During my raw motherhood sessions we spend one on one time capturing those precious and intimate moments between mama and her babies in a way that even as mamas we forget as our bundles of joy grow up!
Being a mama changes you in all the ways you didn't even think you could change. All the way from when you have a baby in your tummy and the little alien is using up all of your nutrients to stay alive, you reevaluate your life because it is no longer just you. You hold onto your privacy as you carry that baby, and the second you go into labor that goes out the window (and is gone from there on- you never get to pee alone anymore) but that is okay because there are more important things in the world. You change your personality, you change your work ethic, you even change how you love and be loved. Your priorities in life change because suddenly this little babe is your NUMBER ONE.
All those sleepless nights, the exhaustion, it's all worth it for that little guy. They say that no matter how terrible your labor is, you don't remember it like it happened because the joy of having that bundle of joy earthside is too overwhelming. But while we're on the topic, what kinda baddie goddess energy is pushing a whole baby out of you? It's honestly remarkable what women are capable of, and it's my honor to be able to capture all of those little moments.
Did you know, women's breastmilk will sense the antibodies that the baby needs JUST by contact with the babies saliva, and their milk will produce those antibodies? When milk is full of antibodies it turns more yellow than white, and is rich with all those sick fighting cells for baby. How freaking cool is that? BUT while we are on the topic, pumping??? You women are crazy admirable hooking up to a machine every day on schedule for your babes. And you formula feeding moms... waking up at night preparing a bottle, finding the right formula that sits well with your babes tummy, you are strong warriors as well! My heart lives for hearing about all of your birth stories, your postpartum, and your life changing moments from being a mama.
Your mama moments don't end at the newborn phase though, you got the rest of your life ahead of ya girl :) Past the newborn stage and you get into toddler life. Learning about your kiddos personality- what makes them sad, what makes them happy. As mama's we are so in tune to how our babes are feeling and want only the best for them. You learn their favorite foods (if your kid is anything like mine, it's chicken nuggets and Mac and Cheese), you learn their own personal love language, and everything in-between the two. All of those late night snuggles, those lullabies before bed, waking up from nightmares or scared of the dark. All you mamas, no matter what the stage of motherhood, are remarkable.
I'm obsessed with the quiet moments, that often don't get captured about motherhood. The skin to skin snuggles, the stretch marks against baby skin and the bare bottomed babes. I'm obsessed with the first moments of baby earth side, that overwhelming joy of everything being worth it in the end. I'm obsessed with the jumping on the bed days, the dancing in the kitchen days, and the cold days with warm baths together. All of these moments are so quickly overlooked and forgotten, but oh so important to us mamas.
Soooooo.... as you can see, I am very passionate about all of those raw motherhood moments. My soul is on fire for all you mamas and the goddess energy you possess while you create a literal human inside of you, and even you adoption or surrogate mamas, to take on a lifetime of commitment to love and care for a human, you are remarkable. I will forever have a soft spot in my heart for too of you mamas.