Kyla AKA Mama # 3, texted me right before 9 am on April 7th to warn me not to be alarmed, but she had been checked into the hospital, and was 2CM! I was really alarmed, because Mama #2 had texted me not even an hour before to let me know that her waters broke! I had officially embarked on my first endeavor, navigating two mamas in the early stages of labor!

Arnetta, Kyla’s doula and one of my dearest perinatal friends, texted me that she was heading into the hospital to support Kyla around 2:30 pm. I arrived at the hospital around 3:15 pm. I found Kyla calmly working through contractions with the support of her mother, doula, child’s father, two sisters, brother, and niece-a community of love surrounded her like she had hoped. She was 3.5cm, and the baby was in a posterior position.

One thing that stood out with Kyla was her sense of control. As a first-time mama, she was in tune with her body and her baby. Her words were few as she breathed through every wave. I call her the “graceful and quiet birther”. One of her affirmations was “I am capable of handling any challenges that may come my way with grace and strength”. And she did!

@yourssdoula was amazing at finding ways to manage her pain. This was my first time seeing the comb acupuncture technique in use. She labored for about a few hours before utilizing the birth pool! She was on Pitocin, but had no pain meds, as her goal was to give birth naturally.

Kyla labored for 4 hours until being checked for the first time since I had arrived. At 5:55 pm, she was 6cm and the baby was at 0 station. She continued laboring as best she could, often using her sense of humor and gazelle focus to her advantage while her family comforted her. At 9 pm, she was checked again, but with no progress.

The staff turned off Pitocin and placed the baby on a vaginal monitor to check his heart rate, which was dipping during contractions for a short period of time. She was able to stabilize his heart rate by switching positions (from one side to another) as she continued to labor. Around midnight, she had only progressed to 7cm and requested an epidural. After she received her epidural, we all returned to her hospital room at 1:15 am, where she was suddenly feeling so much lower pelvic pressure. At 1:45 am, she was checked and was at 10CM and ready to push; however, she didn’t start pushing until shortly after 2 am.

Her contractions were coming far apart- about 6 minutes between, making the pushing phase for her, 3 HOURS. She was resilient, though! I loved how she was able to use a mirror to watch her baby enter this world. He was born at 5:31 am on 04/08/2025, with his mama, dad, grandma, great aunt, two aunts, uncle, cousin, and doula all ready to take a peek.

It was a celebration of love and new life as Kyla embarked on her first day of Motherhood.

Words from Birth Photographer, Tiana Lashae

Kyla’s birth experience was filled with strength and grace.  Through moments of vulnerability and triumph, she reminds families that every birth story is worthy of being seen and remembered. This blog invites parents, especially Black families, to honor their own stories by documenting them — in photos, words, or memories — because these moments hold the legacy of resilience, love, and new beginnings.

Are you a BIPOC family expecting a little one in 2026? Tiana offers Birth photography and 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.