Making Memories: birth photographers in Iowa City and Cedar Rapids

Birth is intimate. Birth is powerful. Birth is beautiful. Are you looking for a birth photographer to document this life-changing experience for you? I'm thrilled share with you the fabulous birth photographers who serve Iowa City and Cedar Rapids. Read on to learn what makes each of these photographers so talented and unique, and take a look at some of their AMAZING birth photos!

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New Creation Photography
What Laura says about birth photography,

Birth can be exhilarating AND exhausting!  After photographing nearly 90 births, I've learned to expect the unexpected.  It's part of what makes birth photography so exciting!  The moments that I have had the opportunity to capture for clients - dad supporting mom through labor, baby taking her first breath, and those teeny tiny wrinkly fingers and toes - are sometimes indescribable, and I'm so honored to be able to provide families with beautiful photographs of their birth story to help them remember the details forever.  I am Iowa's most experienced birth photographer and know well the commitment and dedication it requires to be on-call and get to a birth at 2 a.m. when necessary.  This is what I do. Years of professional photography experience help ensure that the emotion and events of your baby's birth will be captured perfectly and authentically in breathtaking photos of your big day.

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Katie Rivera Photography
What Katie​ says about birth photography,

Birth.  It is one of life's most incredible experiences.  There's something about the anticipation, the hopefulness, the tears, the laughter, the joy that make the breath of new life so indescribably beautiful.  At Katie Rivera Photography it is my absolute joy to capture these moments and freeze them forever through the art of birth photography.  All births come with a uniqueness and a story that has never before been told.  Birth photography allows clients and their families to forever recall their unique story; the way moms hands gripped the bed during labor, the room quiet as it witnessed just how strong and beautiful the female body was created to be, baby's first look at the outside world.  Details too unique and precious not to be told through the powerful images of birth photography.

After taking part in thousands of births as a former labor and delivery nurse, the miracle of birth never fades.  This is why at Katie Rivera Photography I have become so passionate about capturing births!  Ina May Gaskin once said, "Whenever and however you intend to give birth, your experience will impact your emotions, your mind, your body and your spirit for the rest of your life."  Get those emotions in a photograph.  I promise you wont regret it!

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Stacey Schmitt Birth Services & Photography
What Stacey says about birth photography,

As a birth doula, it was easy for me to implement birth photography for my families. I am able to capture moments they want to remember and piece together a timeline of a beautiful day. When the birthing mom is in her birth zone taking on the waves of labor, the support in a firm hand grasp from her partner, to revealing the big introduction of holding baby for the first time; it is your story of transformation to motherhood. Birth photography can be something you display for all to see or keep the story personal; either way the day your baby is born is unforgettable, why not capture those images you can flip through and remember those feelings and emotions of adding a new little to your family. 

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Little Love Photography
What ​Emily says about birth photography,

Being invited into a delivery room is the the most humbling experience of my job. Birth is such an emotional and personal time that I  am honored when I am chosen to capture that memory for someone. I get to go to work and capture a brand new dad seeing his baby for the first time. I document the look on mom's face when she hears her baby cry for the first time and again when she has this perfect little person placed on her chest. There are a million firsts in birth photography. The first time mom runs her fingers through a fresh head of hair, counting fingers and toes, checking out every single roll, deciding whose nose/eyes/ ears this baby has, foot prints, first diapers, and first baths. There are so many memories that no one wants to forget BUT labor is long. Labor is exhausting. No matter how much we want to remember every single moment of that entire day, some things can be forgotten. And that is why I am there. I want to be the fly on the wall that can flood your memory with every heart tugging moment that happens that day. I have a truly amazing job that gives me the opportunity to meet amazing families. I love what I do.

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Rebekah Stewart Photography
What Rebekah says about birth photography,

I love birth photography because no birth is ever the same.  Each of my clients comes to me with different experiences and expectations, and each pregnancy and delivery is different, as well.  Whether it's a scheduled c-section or a 3 AM homebirth, birth is never boring!  My approach during births is documentary or "fly on the wall" - for the most part, I'll only speak when spoken to.  My goal is for my birth clients to totally forget that I'm there!   Labor and delivery is such an intense time - having a birth photographer ensures all partners are able to be fully present without worrying about missing anything.

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Sandi Spurrell Photography
What Sandi says about birth photography,

Priceless is the first word that comes to mind when I think about birth photography. The day you welcome your precious bundle of joy will go by in a blink of an eye! Your baby will have many firsts on this day. The first breath, the first look, the first touch, the first kiss, the first tear, the first pout and many more firsts! Your baby will be cleaned up, weighed, measured, looked over, foot print taken, dressed and then the nurses will put a little hat on his/her cute little head. Having a professional birth photographer there will give you one  less thing you will need to worry about on this very important day. The moms that I have photographed for have told me they were so glad they had their births photographed and they look back at the photos often.  PRICELESS!

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Haley Lent Photography
What Haley says about birth photography,

I love birth photography and I think it’s really important. It is so easy to sort of “forget” all of the little moments that happen during labor and delivery because you’re just so focused. Even in the first days after my deliveries, the details of my labor and delivery experiences started to fade. After several years, things tend to just become a blur. I believe that looking through your birth images really brings you back to those things that have faded over time. You also get a totally different perspective of everything, which is a lot of fun. I feel so blessed that my clients let me into such a huge and personal event in their lives, I’ve even held a leg on a couple of occasions while shooting (which is SO cool). I have never had a client regret having me there to photograph their birth, and they are always just blown away when they see their final images. Births never get old or less exciting and are definitely my favorite thing to shoot. 

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Lindsay McGowan Photography
What Lindsay says about birth photography,

As a mother of three, I can remember how the births of my babies are now a completely overwhelming blur of emotions. Having a birth story told through images captures each moment, gentle touches, first looks, and the intense emotion of welcoming your baby into the world. After photographing over 30 births, I am continuously amazed at how similar and different each birth experience is. Our bodies are amazing and powerful, and I feel incredibly honored each time I am able to witness the first breaths of a sweet babe. I take the approach of being a fly on the wall, quietly snapping away the moments that are meant to be treasured, and later can be used to provide my clients with a full gallery showcasing the story. Since I don't put a cap on the number of images I provide, each gallery is truly a collection of stills that helps to bring those blurry memories into focus.

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Looking for more support as you transition into parenthood? Nested Mama offers doula services, childbirth and breastfeeding education, and infant sleep consultations. For more connections to our local community, follow Nested Mama on Facebook and Instagram.