From belly, to baby! | Vancouver, WA Newborn Photographer

 From in your belly to in your arms, creating and raising a child is such a remarkable processes. Everything about life changes as you prepare to bring a baby into the world. As a woman, your body and mind change dramatically and in the most amazing ways possible. 

You will forever be connected to your child, even after they have left your womb and entered the world. Your bond with them will be unlike anything else.

I am so incredibly fortunate to have the privilege of being a small part of people's journey into parenthood. I am constantly amazed by the strength and love I get to witness and be a part of. Being a maternity and newborn photographer is truly a gift and it is one that I am thankful for every day. Thank you to all of my past and future clients for trusting me to capture your precious memories and allowing me to be a small part of your amazing journey! 

What the Heck is PRUV? | Vancouver, WA Photographer

What the heck is PRUV, this is a question I found myself asking a lot a few months ago. PRUV stands for persistent right umbilical vein, it is a vascular pathology found in babies while in utero. Essentially there is a vein in the belly that directs the blood flow through a fetus, normally the right umbilical vein begins to obliterate around the fourth week of gestation and disappears by the 7th week. In a baby with PRUV the right vein remains open through gestation affecting the way that blood courses through the fetus. This condition pretty rare occurring roughly in 0.1% of pregnancies and is generally diagnosed by ultrasound in the second trimester around the 20th week. It is associated with developmental problems in organs in the renal system and the heart, it is also common for babies with PRUV to be born low birth weights and can be seen in correlation of other conditions such as Single Umbilical Artery.

Back in December my husband and I went in for our second trimester ultrasound. We were elated to have another look our little man find out what we were having but we left our appointment feeling a little scared and unsure. You can read more about this experience in my previous blog post HERE. Because of the rarity of PRUV there was some confusion as to what was acutally going on at first and initially we were informed that our little guy had SUA and that they were going to need to monitor his condition through my pregnancy.

I developed a kidney stone back in January and needed to make a trip to the hospital because of it. While in the hospital we mention to the ultrasound tech that Parker had SUA but when she went to look into it she saw a normal umbilical cord. After a little more digging and referring to another doctor in the hospital we finally found out that Parker actually had PRUV. This is where things got really interesting, no one seemed to really know what PRUV was and didn't know how to describe it other than to that it could cause problems with his heart. At our ultrasound back in December they had us set up an appointment for an Echocardiogram at 6 weeks out. At the time of my kidney stone we were still about 2 weeks from the echo so of course when I got home and had some time I started searching the internet for more info but was really coming up empty handed. About the only thing I knew for sure was that PRUV was less serious than SUA, so that was a bit of a relief.

At the first echo they saw an abnormality on Parker's inferior vena cava. They didn't have much else to tell us, they just wanted us to come back in for another echo when his heart got a little bigger and they could see things a little clearer. We were still kind of in the dark at this point.

At our second echo we FINALLY got some answer. We had a fantastic tech who actually had seen cases of PRUV in the past and was able to really explain it to us. The doctor stood in while the tech was doing the echo portion of our ultrasound and was able to tell us right away that our little man's heart was looking normal and healthy! So much weight was lifted off of me at that appointment. I finally felt like I understood what was going on with Parker and I knew his heart was healthy. His femur was measuring in the 2nd percentile so they wanted us to come in for another ultrasound just to take another look at his growth but at this point they were feeling pretty confident about his health.

A snap from our 28 week ultrasound. Parker is head down and tacoed up with his feet in face.

Yesterday was our 32 week ultrasound and likely will be our last. His femur is still measuring very short but there are no other signs of genetic abnormalities, he weighed in a just over 4 pounds and is in the 40th percentile for his gestational age. He is growing well and so there is no longer any real concerns about his health or prognosis. We are looking at having a totally normal, healthy and short (just like his momma) baby here in just a few weeks.

Thank you to everyone who has been following our story and has been showing us all the support and love. There were moments that were definitely a little scary but knowing how loved we all are made it so much easier to be positive through the whole experience and I truly believe that the positive attitude we maintained made all the difference in the world when it came to Parker's prognosis.

Not all cases of PRUV result in complications, in fact according to a specific study only about 60% of cases delivery was unremarkable and post-natal evolution was favorable. We are so lucky to be in that 60%
Additional information on PRUV can be found at these sites;
https://sonoworld.com/
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/

Here are a few snaps from our 32 week ultrasound. Parker is still positioned head down and seems to enjoy being tacoed over, he never seems to take his legs out of his face. His position has made it hard to see much of his face our last 2 appointment but he already has some hair and we were able to get a little peek of it so that was awesome. We are so excited to meet our little man this May and so happy to know that he is growing healthy and happy in my belly.

A Little Bit of Preparation Can Go A Long Way | Vancouver, WA Newborn Photographer

This winter has been the winter of the awake babies. Now, don't get me wrong, I love a sweet, alert, open eyed little one but the sleepers make my job so much easier.  Safety is always my priority when working with newborns and there are some poses that are simply not achievable in a safe way is babes are awake. This winter has been full of wrapping but this little gal finally changed all of that! When Grace and her mom arrived, mom was so excited. She had read through the prep guide she received before her session carefully and did everything she could to make sure we would get the most out of their time in the studio. Her work definitely paid off and Grace was already out hard and ready to go when they arrived. We were able to start immediately with some sweet naked setups on the beanbag and we got through all of them without any pees or poops. I had a feeling she had some business brewing so we opted for a diapered wrapped setup next. About 10 minutes in, she got a little fussy and then totally let loose. We got her all changed up and fed and she was ready to do some more naked setups in props. She seriously was one of the and easiest babies. She did manage to pee on my pink fuzzie right at the very end of her session but I walked away clean and dry, which honestly is rare win for me. Little baby Grace is proof that a little bit of preparation can go a long way! 

Please enjoy some of the highlights from baby Grace's session <3

Aryanna Newborn Session | Vancouver, WA Newborn Photographer

I really loved getting to know this couple through their maternity session so as you can imagine I was very excited to meet their little lady. Only 12 days new and Aryanna already has so much personality, she has the most expressive little face that will just tug at your heart strings. She also has the thickest head of hair, it is quite impressive. Even though Aryanna managed to pee all over my lap, I had such a fun afternoon hanging out with her and her parents. She got me in just the right spot and made it look like I peed myself and so we all got a good laugh out of that.

It was such an honor to be able to capture this precious time in her sweet life! Go check out her mom and dad's maternity session here;

A Sweet September Maternity Session

Cairo's Cake Smash Session | Vancouver, WA Baby Photographer

First birthdays are a big deal. They are such an awesome milestone not only for your baby but for you! Your family made it through the first year, you made it through birth, through all of the changes and so much growth. First birthdays aren't just a celebration of the day your child was born but they are a celebration of your family and your strength. 

One really fun way to commemorate your little one's first birthday is with a cake smash session! Your baby is left with just a cake in front of them, it will peak their curiosity and force them to explore just like 1 year olds like to do. It's a great way to capture your little one candidly and chances are you will see the whole gamut of emotions through the session.

Here are some of my favorites from Cairo's cake smash sessions. 

When you try to use the straw but no cake comes out! 😂

Sometimes you just need to eat cake off your toes

I'm happy, I'm super happy! Ok, get this cake off of me now!

What to Expect From Your Newborn Session | Vancouver, WA Newborn Photographer

It is best to book your newborn session while you are still pregnant as newborns sessions must be done in the first 14 days of life. Babies are so squishy, sleepy and co-operative at this age that is allows for better posing, plus they will never be this small again. Please contact me as soon as possible after birth to arrange the exact date and time of your session.

When photographing newborns I work on their timeline, I let them call the shots. I will never force baby into a pose they aren't comfortable in or isn't natural, I will stop whenever necessary for feedings and changing. Because of this newborn sessions generally take 3 to 4 hours.

After your session it is time to go home and relax! I will go through the images from your session and select the best. Once I have the "final cut” selected, you are invited back to my studio to experience the moment you have been eagerly awaiting.

Ready to book your session? Get in touch! Brianna@bmwphotography.net

I can't wait to hear from you and create some beautiful memories together <3

Cheers, Brianna

My Photography Style | Vancouver, WA Newborn Photographer

Last week we talked about how to choose your photographer but this week I want to talk about my newborn photography style. 

My style is light and airy as well as natural and organic. I love texture but I also heavily value simplicity. The backdrop is the foundation and I like to start with a simple and clean base to build up from. Props, layers are wraps are the structure and add dimension to the photo. I believe that props should support the overall photo, not outshine baby. Your little squish is really what you came to see and should be the star of the show. I love to use wraps and layers that are made from natural materials. I love solid color bonnets and simple dainty headbands and I believe that real vintage items make the best props.

I want your photos to be something you are proud to hang up on the walls in your home and your session to be something you can look back on fondly.

Cheers, Brianna