Life happens: A missed emergency c-section | Inaya
No stranger to birth photography, Jessica’s birth stories were previously documented by Alda Smith and Marysol Blomerus respectively (see her last hospital water birth, captured by Marysol, here). Now, having taken over from both Alda and Marysol in recent years, it seemed fitting that I would follow in their great footsteps by documenting the arrival of baby number five (yup, you read that right!).
Jessica and Satish are based in Zambia, but prefer to have their pre-natal care and delivery done in Cape Town. We meet via Zoom (ah, modern technology!) and immediately fall into a comfortable conversation about the crazy that comes with raising multiple kids…!
Over the next few months, Jessica experienced blood pressure issues and needed to be monitored closely during additional hospital stays up in Zambia. We had to remain flexible on when and where we would do her maternity shoot, with a possibility that it would have to take place in the maternity ward! Thankfully, we made it to 36 weeks and managed to capture a stunning sunrise maternity session on Noordhoek beach.
Due to complications, Jessica was scheduled for an induction at Christiaan Barnard hospital. I checked in with her at 6am that morning to to make sure that everything was going well and that there were no signs of intense labour. We decided to hold off for a while before I came through to the hospital, thinking that we still had plenty of time.
If only we knew what was about to happen…
At 8am, already on my way to the hospital, I received news from Satish that they had broken Jessica’s water, realised the umbilical cord was coming out first, and rushed into theatre for an emergency c-section. Given the urgency of the situation, there wasn’t even time for Satish to make it into the theatre, while Jessica was put under aesthetic immediately.
As fate would have it, I was in stuck in peak traffic with no hope of getting to the hospital in time…
45 minutes later, Jessica and Satish - still reeling from the unexpected turn of events - welcomed me with wide eyes, big smiles, and a beautiful, healthy baby in their arms!
That just goes to show that no two births are alike (or three or four or in this case, FIVE!). One day, Inaya will learn all about her wild and riveting arrival into this world. And although it was not what her parents planned or expected, it was beautiful and memorable all the same.
Join me in swooning over the gorgeous photos that prove how loved she was from the very moment of her existence:
