Birth Photography in the time of Covid-19
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Natalie Broders
April 7, 2020
Written by:
Hi, I’m Natalie! I’m a birth photographer, videographer and doula serving Portland, OR and the surrounding areas.
Here’s what I’m doing to keep my family and my birth clients safe during the time of covid-19.
I ask that my clients give me the same reassurances I’m offering them: please make every effort to limit social contact before your birth to limit the chance of exposure to me.
My intention is to build trust with you AND your birth team. I want to birthing people and their midwives know how seriously I’m taking my own health and viral prevention.
Precautions I’m taking before the birth
- Staying home and social distancing
- Taking extra special precautions because I work around pregnant and birthing people
- My kids are homeschooled
- We use grocery pick-up instead of going into the store
- We live in a small farm outside of town
- We grow our own food and raise our own meat
- Moved meetings to Zoom or phone call
- In-person meetings are with a mask and/or 6 feet apart (preferably outdoors)
- Communicating with parents and midwives about these precautions in advance
Precautions I’m taking at the birth
- I wear a mask
- I invite providers to take my temperature upon arrival to confirm no fever
- Wear specific sterilized shoes to each birth
- Fresh change of clothes when arriving/leaving
- If I were to have any symptoms, I pay a contracted backup to go in my place
Lifestyle
My family and I are very privileged to live on a bit of property where we the kids can get outside home to release pent-up energy.
We have been spending a lot of time outside on our farm, barefoot in the grass trying to connect to mother earth and digging in the garden.
We raise chickens, goats, and grow a mean berry patch (and veggie garden).
Hospital Guidelines
As of September, 2020 the following hospitals are now allowing a doula in addition to your partner:
+ Legacy
+ Providence
+ Kaiser
+ OHSU
I’m offering labor and birth doula support with photography for hospital birth clients.
For people interested in photography without doula support, I’m now offering Welcome Home Baby sessions!
Home Birth or Birth Center
I’m primarily attending home births and birth center births, given the precautions above.
I’ll communicate with you and your midwives about the steps and precautions I’m taking in order to build trust before you’re in labor.
I ask that my clients give me the same reassurances I’m offering them: please make every effort to limit social contact before your birth to limit the chance of exposure to me.
At your birth, I won’t shake hands or hug. Sorry – I know, it’s really tough. I’m a hugger!
Flexible Payments
Most clients choose to spread their birth photography package out into monthly payments preceding their birth, with balance paid in full by 37 weeks (when I go on call for you).
Because this is a special circumstance, I’m offering to extend payment plans for families who request it.
I know this is a time of financial stress for many families, and I passionately feel within my heart that NO ONE should miss out on having their birth documented because of financial reasons.
With balance paid in full, you’d receive sneak peek images 24 hours after birth, and a full gallery in 4-6 weeks.
With an extended payment plan, you wouldn’t receive any images until the balance is paid in full.
Portland Birth Photographer
Birth Doula & Videographer
Natalie Broders is a birth photographer, birth videographer and birth doula located in Portland, Oregon. She lives on a farm with her husband and 2 kids. They raise chickens and love to garden. Natalie loves babywearing, cloth diapering and is passionate about her work as an advocate for birthing people as a labor and birth doula. She had one of her babies at a birth center and her second baby was born at home, in water.
