- March 25th, 11:15pm

( Names have been changed in this story )



I’ll never forget the night sweet baby A arrived.

It was the 25th of March, a quiet evening holding its breath. At exactly 21:59, I got a message from Lara, the mama:

"I think it might be go time."

This was her third baby, so although she added, "I don’t think there’s a big rush," I felt the familiar pull in my gut—go. I began gathering my gear, heart fluttering with anticipation. There’s a kind of knowing that comes with experience, and I could feel it in the air that night.

By 22:20 I was already on the road. At 22:55, I pulled up to their home at the same time as L’s friend who was waiting by the door. We stepped into the house together, and everything felt charged—still, but alive.

Lara was standing around the dining table, contractions coming strong and fast, her body swaying with power. Her husband, Chris, and her friend started calmly preparing the birth pool, filling it with warm water and love.


A cozy room with illuminated birthing pool, glowing candles, and wood-burning fireplace creating a romantic atmosphere.
Handwritten sticky notes with encouraging messages scattered on a dark wooden surface in warm lighting.

One of those moments that etches itself into your heart happened the second I arrived. I went to give Lara a hug, and she just held onto me—really held on. Her arms around me, riding a contraction, trusting me with her presence. Though I was there as her photographer, my hands naturally shifted into a doula’s role. Sometimes, your soul knows what’s needed more than your job title does.

When the contraction gave her a breath of space, we moved slowly and gently into the pool. And that’s when the pace quickened. Her body knew. I told her it was time to remove her underwear—baby was coming!!

And oh, she came fast.

Fast fast.

Within minutes of Lara entering the water, with Chris by her side offering every ounce of reassurance and steady calm, baby made her way earthside. It was a quiet, beautiful arrival. The room felt like a sacred pause, wrapped in peace and magic.


Two people share an intimate moment while giving birth in a dimly lit room.
A candid black and white photo capturing two people sharing a joyful moment while giving birth.
a fresh newborn baby , mom holding her baby after giving birth in a pool.

What stayed with me the most, through it all, was Lara’s smile. She smiled through labor. She smiled through every wave of intensity. She smiled when baby was born. Her love for this little girl glowed from her in the most luminous, unwavering way.

The midwives arrived just in time to help her out of the pool and support her as she delivered the placenta—still smiling. That moment felt like the perfect exhale. Everything had unfolded exactly as it was meant to.

Later, Lara was wrapped in softness and warmth, snuggled into a cozy chair—the same chair we’d taken her maternity photos in just a few months before.

woman just give birth in a pool .
woman giving birth to the placenta just minutes after giving birth.
A tender black and white moment captured between parent and newborn baby lying together on cushions surrounded by soft light.

With a slice of toast in her hand and Chris beside her, they melted into the stillness of new life, beginning their next chapter as a family of five. Her, Chris ,their two sweet boys, and now baby A—their precious girl.


These are the stories I live to tell. The quiet strength. The raw beauty. The little smiles in the middle of everything.


With love,

Deborah xxx

A cozy room where a mom gives birth to a baby girl. Birth photographer in Beckenham , Bromley and London.
A cozy room where a mom gives birth to a baby girl. Birth photographer in Beckenham , Bromley and London.
A cozy room where a mom gives birth to a baby girl. Birth photographer in Beckenham , Bromley and London.
A cozy room where a mom gives birth to a baby girl. Birth photographer in Beckenham , Bromley and London.
A cozy room where a mom gives birth to a baby girl. Birth photographer in Beckenham , Bromley and London.
A woman in a floral dress sits in soft lighting holding a newborn baby on her arms .
A cozy room where a mom gives birth to a baby girl. Birth photographer in Beckenham , Bromley and London.
A cozy room where a mom gives birth to a baby girl. Birth photographer in Beckenham , Bromley and London.
A cozy room where a mom gives birth to a baby girl. Birth photographer in Beckenham , Bromley and London.
A cozy room where a mom gives birth to a baby girl. Birth photographer in Beckenham , Bromley and London.
A cozy room where a mom gives birth to a baby girl. Birth photographer in Beckenham , Bromley and London.
Two champagne glasses sit on a dark wooden table next to a photo frame in warm ambient lighting.
Parents share an intimate moment bonding with their newborn baby in soft window light on a couch.
A cozy room where a mom gives birth to a baby girl. Birth photographer in Beckenham , Bromley and London.
A cozy room where a mom gives birth to a baby girl. Birth photographer in Beckenham , Bromley and London.
A cozy room where a mom gives birth to a baby girl. Birth photographer in Beckenham , Bromley and London.
A newborn baby wrapped in a soft green blanket lies peacefully while being cradled in gentle hands.