Briana, AKA mama #2, texted me at 7:39 AM on 4/7/25 to alert me that her water broke around 6a and that she was laboring at home because contractions were mild and far apart. This would be my first time supporting a client as their birth doula in addition to providing birth photography! I checked in with Bri every few hours as I was not sure how things would play out. Mama #3 had texted me at 8:25 am, letting me know that she had just checked into the hospital and was 2cm!

I was on edge for a couple of hours, waiting! Who was going to deliver first? Mama #3 doula texted me that she was heading in around 3:30 pm. I joined her shortly after to document the birth of Mama #2.

Bri was still at home laboring, but had midwife liaison Elikem and me on speed dial. Her contractions were still pretty inconsistent, even though her water had broken over 12 hours ago! She was reassured that since the baby was active, she had no fever, and that her fluids were clear, it was her choice to continue laboring at home until contractions were more consistent. Earlier, she had tried nipple stimulation, foot acupuncture, and taking a walk to induce labor naturally.

I got the text around 1:45 am that she was heading into the hospital. Bri was checked into triage around 2:30 am and was 1cm, 40% effaced, and had started cyotec.

Mama #3 gave birth at 5:31 am, and I rushed immediately after to support Bri, arriving at 6:30 am. She was resting, along with her mother and husband, so I decided to rest as well because I was exhausted from the previous birth.

Around 10a, the show was on a roll! She had the best support team! She started laboring in love, her mom and husband were just what she needed.

Bri and Justin’s family is one of the most connected and loving families I’ve had the honor of working with. You truly had to be there to witness how beautiful these two worked together to bring their precious baby into this world. I love how active and attentive Justin was when it came to Bri, the way she felt, and the things she needed. Her mom was a few inches away, praying over her baby, and had this natural aura that kept the entire family grounded and comforted. This was their rainbow baby, who was also diagnosed with Trisomy 13.

Around 11:45a Bri was checked and had progressed to 4CM! The staff was incredibly supportive of her birth plans to birth as natural as possible without meds or interventions. They also performed a membrane sweep.

She continued to labor, moving to the shower/tub for hydrotherapy. She was able to enjoy the tub for 45 minutes before heading back to bed, where she labored most of the time, hovering over the birthing ball.

At 5 pm, she was checked again and had no change in dilation, plus the baby was still pretty high up. The station was -2. She agreed to a very small dose of Pitocin to help regulate contractions. We got her moving around the hospital room, music jamming, utilized flying cowgirl with the birthing ball, comb acupuncture, and cranked her TENS machine as we tried our best to help her manage pain.

Around 7:30 pm, her GiGi, who flew here, arrived just in time. Transition time was near as she started to become more vocal.

GiGi immediately got to work, supporting Bri with hip squeezes and back massages as contractions were becoming more intense. Around 7:30, she received some pain relief through her IV and increased Pitocin to 3.

She continued to labor until being checked at 10:30 pm. She had progressed to 8cm and was 90% effaced. At this time, they completely broke the rest of her bag of waters!

Almost instantly, she was feeling pressure and the urge to push. She was complete in less than 10 minutes. She got on all fours and roared her baby into this world with just a few pushes.

Jahro (The one who is seen and shepherded by God) Horace Pitts was born at 10:58 pm and was immediately placed on his mama’s chest, while his dad, mama, grandma, and great grandma GiGi all swoon over him. His foot was tangled in his umbilical cord right before dad did his honorary duty of cutting his cord.

This family was completely overcome with joy hearing him cry. Experiencing a loss before this pregnancy had its own set of challenges; Bri and Justin’s faith was prominent in this celebration. You can see the gratitude and how proud he was; he instantly started to praise and pray over his wife and child.

The relief, the joy, and the love were all a sight to see as baby Jahro made his debut.

Words from Birth Photographer, Tiana Lashae

Loss & Grief as doula + birth photographer.

Baby Jahro was born at 10:58 pm on 04/08/2025, into a room full of love, tears, gratitude, praise, and joy! While the family did know of his diagnosis (Trisomy 13) prior, their faith was strong, and expectations were optimal.

I got the unfortunate text from Justin around 5 am on 4/9/2025, letting me know that baby Jahro did not make it through the night. He lived just under five hours. I had plans to capture their Fresh 48 newborn portraits and finally meet their oldest daughter the following day…. but plans quickly shifted! I faced one of the hardest days of my career, my first bereavement session. Jahro’s family gathered from near and far in their hospital room where eyes were filled with tears, sacred tunes were sung, countless hugs shared, and pain + loss + emptiness filled the room. This was their rainbow baby, too!

As a mother, doula, friend, and empath, witnessing Bri’s courage and strength bringing her son into this world was such an honor and privilege. I was one of the very few people lucky enough to meet baby Jahro, who was so deeply wanted and so incredibly loved. I feel grateful to have captured his short life in full, from the beginning. To know Bri is to love Bri—she has the most radiant soul, and her husband, with his servant heart, was so deserving of taking home their precious boy. Knowing that there isn’t anything more that I can do or say to ease their pain and grief hurts too!

Here’s a 9:30-minute video from Justin and Bri, giving us their perspective and just how impactful having these photographs has been in their postpartum journey while managing grief and loss.

Are you a BIPOC family expecting a little one in 2026? Tiana offers free to reduced rates for Birth photography and postpartum/newborn photography for low-income families on Medicaid in Wayne and Washtenaw counties through Black Birth Joy.

In 2024, Tiana curated a photovoice campaign project called Black Birth Joy, aiming to shift the narrative of black maternal health to be more positive and uplifting, centering the joys in the black birth experience. Because photography is such a powerful postpartum processing tool, families were able to hold their birth journeys closer and remember them more vividly through these storytelling photographs. Birth photography can be very expensive, but with Black Birth Joy, BIPOC identifying families receive birth and postpartum/newborn photography at no or low cost to them. The photographs developed from the project will be used at local community events to further increase awareness that black families do have safe, supported, and joy-filled births, especially when they receive affirming care from providers.

Want to contribute to Black Birth Joy? We have a GoFundMe! This helps support future families participating in this project.