The Birth of Baby Emeris.

I received a text from @heart_and_soul_midwifery around 11:30 a.m. on March 30th, letting me know that Sha’Vonna, Mama # 1, was in labor!

We both arrived at Dejuan’s mother’s home slightly after noon on March 30th, finding her breathing through some pretty intense contractions. Earlier that morning, around 3 am, she felt the onset of labor, completely shocking everyone as she was not due until April 9th.

Her partner, Dejuan, was on a work trip, and with storms rolling in, we were hoping he’d make his flight back home in enough time to see his son and this family’s first grandson be born. She was laboring as best she could with her big sisters, Alonna and Bryonna, also on their way!

Khadijah, the midwife,  was able to evaluate how the baby was doing and how far along labor had progressed. She was 3CM + 1; however baby’s position was ROT (back of baby’s head is on the right side of mama’s body and across the pelvis). She needed a little extra help to get the baby in a better position for birth. By this time, her sisters had just arrived and were ready to support her.

We were able to try side lying and forward-leaning inversion to optimize room in the lower uterus for the baby to move!

After side-lying and forward-leaning inversions, we shifted to the bathroom tub to labor more. Around 4:22 pm, she had progressed to 5CM, almost 6, but the baby was starting to not tolerate contractions.

Khadijah was super attentive as she noticed the baby’s heart rate was decreasing with almost every contraction! Sha’Vonna really started to feel the contractions as they became more and more intense. She was embracing the storm, with every wave, just waiting to meet her baby boy! Noelle @birth.in.power, the Midwife’s birth assistant stepped in with no hesitation to help shake the baby down and apply pressure where it was needed the most!

Realizing how important it is to keep mama and baby safe, the midwife ultimately chose to transfer her to a local hospital as the baby’s heart rate consistently dropped during contractions. Her sisters were advised to gather her bags as Noelle helped her get dressed. She could barely make it out the door, getting down on all fours to focus and breathe through the contractions.

Upon arriving at the hospital, she was swiftly taken into triage with her midwife. Her sisters, baby’s grandma, and I were all directed to wait in the labor and delivery waiting area until she was officially checked in! While waiting, Sha’Vonna’s dad, mom, aunt, and Noelle all arrived in anticipation of the baby’s arrival. Dejuan’s flight was delayed twice at this point, pushing his arrival time later than expected. Everyone joked about how he would not hear the end of this when he finally lands!

With the dip in the baby’s heartbeat with each contraction, she opted for an amnioinfusion (liquid is added to the amniotic sac) to help position and shift the baby! It worked!

About 7ish (about 1.5 hours later), we were all invited back! A jam-packed room full of curiosity and anxiousness. She labored as much as she could before all but her midwife and two sisters were told to leave as she prepared for birth. Only 3 people were allowed back during the birth.

I got a text from the midwife that baby Emeris was born at 8:53 pm! Everyone in the waiting room was more than excited, impatiently waiting to get back to meet baby Emeris.

After waiting about 45 minutes or so, we all headed back!

When I walked in, Baby Emeris was still basking skin to skin with his mama. Everyone crowded around to take a peek! That first image is one of my favorites, just look at the proud parents! There was plenty of laughter and joy to go around! He stayed skin to skin with his mama until he was finally weighed around 10:30 pm during his newborn exam. He weighed 7lbs 15oz.

From Birth Photographer, Tiana Lashae

Birth rarely follows a perfect script, but that doesn’t make it any less powerful. This mama’s journey from home to hospital was not a detour from strength — it was the very embodiment of it. She trusted her body, her instincts, and her care team. She listened when it was time to change course, and she met her baby with courage, love, and resilience. No matter where or how the story unfolded, what remains is undeniable: she brought life into the world for the very first time, and that makes her nothing short of extraordinary.

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 Washentaw 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.