Cape Town Birth Photographer » blomerusphotography.com

If you have followed me for years, you might recognize Tracey as the mom of Parker-Grace. Here’s that birth story. If you are new here, meet Tracey from the Milk Memoirs, one of Cape Town’s best and most keep-it-real bloggers. If you have never read her blog, you are missing out! She is so honest and approachable. You will nod your head in recognition and from time to time snort out laughing. She holds nothing back. Her birth stories are a great place to start if you like reading those. She’s also blogged most of this pregnancy, including the honest emotional process of a gender reveal that didn’t go as hoped with kid expectations. You will enjoy pouring through her blog. It’s one of my favourites.

The goal was to actually post this session before Tracey’s birth. But like all third babies, they tend to be wild cards and surprise everyone. The day I was supposed to post this, wouldn’t you guess it, was the day she went into labour.

So here we go much later than planned. We headed out to Silvermine, braved the cold, and documented their expectancy. Their family of four soon to be five. The light was perfect, the wind held off (unlike the last time), and they brought their beautiful relationships for me to capture. Any kissing moments? Those aren’t directed by me, that’s the girls egging it on! Tracey was capturing it on her phone behind the scenes. It was a blast, and I hope they keep making babies.

That’s one thing that really stood out to me in post production of this shoot. Their daughter’s personalities are vivid and honest and unique to each of them in almost every frame. This is what I love about including children in a maternity session. You are capturing this chapter in the story, and their little bodies and honest faces such a perfect mile-marker. I assure you that Tracey’s blog about this session is even better than my own – go check it out!

Mini-maternity sessions are offered complimentary with all my birth packages. Its 30 minutes, quick for the men or the kids (like ripping off a plaster…), one location, and 15 gorgeous high quality images for you to treasure long after you are done being pregnant. Or if I’m fully booked for births, I do offer a select number of maternity/newborn combo packages. Inquire here.

My thanks to Jasmine Selembo for her on-location assistance.

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The journey from pregnant to parents is one I specialize in capturing. I know its full of joy, trepidation, expectation, and blur of time gone too fast. Before you know it you are so deep in toddler land, this chapter is gone!

I documented this family’s complete journey from pregnancy, to birth, to their life with a newborn.

Here’s their soft and overcast Kirstenbosch Botannical Gardens maternity session. If you’ve dreamed of a session here, there are s0-many-incredible backdrops and it changes with the seasons. Its not called Africa’s most beautiful garden for nothing.

Then we move to their Bishops Court nursery with gorgeous wall art and natural tones. We did their whole newborn session in there. Nurseries and bedrooms make the perfect backdrops for getting beautiful photos at home with your baby. No need to go anywhere. Their dog even joined in too, because yes pets are welcome!

If you are expecting and I’m fully booked for births or birth photography isn’t quite your thing, you can always book maternity/newborn sessions with me like this one. All of my packages include most gorgeous luxury heirloom album for you to enjoy all your photos off your screen and in your hands. Inquire here.

Enjoy this couples’ images. My thanks to them for hiring me.

Maternity Session gratitude: Kerry Reddiar Make Up Artistry and Stephanie Chesterman for her on-location assistance.

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The glamorous #LifeofABirthPhotographer includes false alarms. I got a quick no filter #ElevatorSelfie a few weeks ago on my way out from a hospital after being sent home because “today was not the day”. This is one of the many ways where birth photography departs from other forms of event photography. Imagine your wedding photographer dashing to your wedding with no-notice only to discover it will be another day (to be determined)? When I am hired by a birth client, my packages include my *unlimited* time from active labour until 2 hours post baby being born. This means sometimes its 6 hours. Sometimes it’s 70! I believe in a premium service. Sometimes it’s running out to be sure “not to miss it” only to realise it was a false alarm in the end. This is always included at no extra cost because I build these factors into my packages.

It’s already a bummer for a mom to think her baby was on the way and then realise not yet. She doesn’t need the added stress of feeling like her birth photographer isn’t 100% on her team. I use good communication with a client and my instinct to hold back sometimes and not come when it seems too early. I also use my instinct to dash out when that little alarm is going off in my head. I have had many clients call me to say “come now!!!!”, then shocked to find out I am already downstairs in the hospital cafe knowing that call was coming. It’s taken years of experience to get to a point where I really trust my instincts and rarely get it wrong. That said, I still sweat it every-single-time.

It’s taken years of experience to get to a point where I really trust my instincts and rarely get it wrong. That said, I still sweat it every-single-time. Oh, and I got a new colour of scrubs for my collection. Fun to mix it up a bit. For more behind the scenes check out #BehindTheScenesWithMarysol on Instagram. I’m sharing a ton over there.

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In an effort to spotlight exceptional birth professionals for expectant parents researching their options, I’ll be interviewing some of the best I work with (see the complete on-going series here).

We have incredible midwives in Cape Town, but not nearly enough. Every woman should have access to a midwife if she desires one. So as a general rule, if you are hoping to hire an independent private midwife, you should contact them early. They tend to book up quickly because they support fewer births a month than an obstetrician would. This is because they support a woman side by side throughout her whole labour, delivery, and just after birth, which requires more hours than just being present for the delivery. Independent midwives are specialised in low-risk natural births.

Meet Susan Lees. She is a 3rd generation midwife. I’ll let her share more about that. She has a wealth of experience and constantly educates her patients through the process of childbirth.

I’ve watched her at work. She doesn’t steal the show or make it about her. She’s like a pillar of strength, guidance, and reassurance upholding a woman who sometimes might not feel she can do it. She often infuses confidence to her client. Watching her work makes your heart ache, it’s so beautiful. 

If you are interested in Susan (with Birth Options Midwifery) being a part of your birth team, here’s how to contact them.

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  • Shanaaz Tito

    Hi, I have 3 children,
    My first, a girl was a normal vaginal delivery at 40weeks weighing 3.12kg,at the age of 20,
    2 years and four months later i had my second, a boy at 39weeks 6days via emergency c section weighing 3.7kg, doctors said he was to big to come out normally.
    My third, another girl also via c section, born at 37weeks weighing 3.070kg, reason for this c section doctor thought she was going to be bigger.
    My question, i would really really like to experience another normal birth, i know no doctor will accommodate me because i have had two c sections already. What advise do you have for me? Do you think it is possible to have another normal birth?ReplyCancel

  • Her Fourth Water Birth {Viaan} | Tokai Melomed-Birth Options | Cape Town Birth Film Maker » Cape Town Birth Photographer

    […] care provided by Susan Lees and Angela Wakeford of Birth Options Midwifery Team, who yes, can practice at Tokai Melomed if you […]ReplyCancel

Lina & Eduardo came to Cape Town from Angola to get married and now have their baby and wanted their maternity & newborn sessions at some iconic locations. Who says you can’t have an outdoor newborn session as long as the weather permits?

We start at Llandudno Beach and continue on to Kirstenbosch gardens. Here’s just a small selection from their beautiful sessions.

My speciality is capturing the journey to parenthood. So if I’m fully booked for births or birth photography isn’t quite your thing, you can always book a maternity/newborn session with me. Inquire here.

Since this post, I have captured the births of both of their children and walked a long road with them. My thanks to them for hiring me again & again to chronicle these special gifts that are given in Cape Town.

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