Apr 24, 2020
If your baby has been given a life-limiting diagnosis and you will deliver during this time of Covid-19 or you somehow miraculously found this episode as a mom who just got news that there is no heartbeat and will deliver a baby already born into heaven -- this episode is for you. If you are a nurse who works with labor and delivery this episode is for you too.
Today I interview my friend Laura Foote. She is a full time professional photographer who also volunteers as a photographer for Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep. Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep is a non-profit organization that provides beautiful, professional photography for families who are experiencing or expecting the death of their baby. Laura voluntarily walks into hospital rooms where mamas are saying goodbye to their babies. She documents these moments, the details, tiny fingers and toes and desperate embraces.
If you are listening and have not gone through the loss of a baby, this may sound incredibly strange -- who wants images of the worst, most tragic moment of your life -- and yet, while it is a tragic moment, photographs capture the life that was lived. A baby we love. A baby we will never forget. Images catch details we might forget. Details we want to remember but may become hazy over time. And while photographing a moment like this may feel impossible, even looking at the photographs may feel impossible for a time, having them is not something a grieving mom will ever regret.
Unfortunately during this time of Covid-19 with restrictions and limitations placed on hospitals it is very likely that having a professional photographer with you when your baby is born will not be possible. And as a mom who has buried a baby, as a mom who has only a handful of photographs to remember him by, that feels devastating to me -- all you have when you leave the hospital are the photos and in a moment of such loss and such grief capturing images is most likely the furthest thing from your mind.
So, in this episode I asked Laura to walk us through how to take photos of our baby even in an unthinkable moment and to make it is as simple as possible. She does that and more. Stay tuned to the end to hear the details about Laura is currently offering a service to professionally edit any photographs you take absolutely free. As a gift because she cares so deeply about you.
Throughout the episode we discuss what tools you will need, what items you should bring with you to the hospital to photograph your baby, a few simple tips for getting better photos as well a list of images you will want to take. We have put all of this together in a pdf that you can download and take with you to the hospital so you don’t even have to think about it. When the time comes, ask one of your nurses if they might be able to help you with this list. You can find that resource in the show notes for this episode, simply head to themorning.com/episode076
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SHOW NOTES: www.themorning.com/episode076
THE JOYFUL MOURNING COMMUNITY: www.thejoyfulmourningcommunity.com
GIFT SHOP FOR GRIEVING MOTHERS:
www.themorning.com/gift-shop
THE JOYFUL MORNING INSTAGRAM: www.instagram.com/thejoyfulmorning