Giving birth in a hospital is the default option for most expectant moms, especially for their first baby. But when it came time for Casey Teller to welcome her newest little one into the world, she decided to do it at home in a bathtub—with her other kids there to greet their new sibling and a photographer on hand to document the joyous event.
This past Valentine’s Day, Teller gave birth to daughter Tallulah Moon, who weighed in at a healthy 6 lbs. and 15 oz. This was Teller’s sixth daughter, her second home birth, and the first time this mom from Suffolk, Virginia had every grueling and precious moment captured in photos—from labor to the baby emerging from the birth canal to the sweet image of a newborn with the umbilical cord still attached curled up with her mama.
Teller told Cafemom that at first she was wary of allowing a photographer into her birth space, but ultimately she was glad she did. For her part, photographer Rebecca Burt was extremely excited to be a part of Teller’s birth. “I’m pretty sure that every photographer has a photography bucket list,” she wrote on her blog. “Something on my list was to document a birth.”
As soon as Burt got the call that the baby was on her way, she sped to Teller’s home and started snapping. Teller’s labor lasted two days. “She did amazing and I barely even knew there was an extra person there,” Teller told Cafemom. “Having those pictures means so much to me.”
As for Burt, she stated that she will never forget this experience. “I’m in awe of the strength women have. As a woman who’s had children herself, I felt her pain, I felt the love and I wanted to document just that.”
The best part of giving birth at home for Teller was having her five daughters by her side: Audrey, 12, Ella, 10, Lillian, 7, Zolie, 4, and Zuri, 2. “The girls being there is so important to me,” said Teller. “I have always felt like we are welcoming a new person into our family, [so] why would I not have the whole family there?”
As for the girls, Teller said they enjoyed the experience of welcoming their sister to the world. “They always react the same, so excited and in love with the new baby,” Teller said. “Our youngest is usually 2 when a new baby comes, and we talk about it so much they are always so amazed by seeing birth. And this time our oldest was 12 and she cried because she was so happy.”
Check out the amazing birth photo series—each photo will leave you in awe.
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