Greater Manchester Birth Services

03/25/2020

We love all of these tips! 😍

PARENTS ABOUT TO WELCOME A BABY INTO THE WORLD - PLEASE READ 🤗!!!

As a momma and a photographer, my heart is breaking during this uncertain time seeing all of these parents (new or three babies in) missing out on their birth, fresh 48 or newborn sessions that they’ve been planning for and dreaming of for months ❤️.

Here is a list of tips I put together so you can still take great photos of your precious new baby in the hospital with your iPhone. Honestly, iPhone (or other smart phone) cameras are great and are the perfect camera to have if you don’t want to invest in professional gear.

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· Take your photos during the day when there is good window light. Try to place baby where the light is soft and even. You don't want harsh, direct light shining on baby.

· Turn off all artificial light sources that will mix with the window light. It’s best to have one type of light to work with, making it easier to edit on your iPhone later.

· Angle baby so you aren’t taking photos aiming up baby’s nose. You want to shoot down the bridge of baby’s nose or from above. Playing around with different angles is fun!

· iPhones typically adjust the exposure pretty well on their own, but they do have a rough time when you take a photo with the subject directly in front of a window. This will create a silhouette. If you do put baby in front of a window in their clear hospital bassinet, tap on the baby to adjust the exposure and tell your phone where you want the focus to be. This will blow out the highlights coming from the window, but you will have baby properly exposed.

· Use the white hospital bedding as your background. Lay baby swaddled in their hospital swaddle or your own from home on the white bedding. This will create a nice, neutral look if your hospital room has a bunch of orange or wood tones.

· DETAILS! Take allllll the photos of your new baby’s tiny little details. They change so fast and it’s so much fun to look back at their little newborn lips, feet and nose!

· I recommend using Adobe Lightroom Mobile if you plan on editing your photos on your phone.

· If light isn't that great and you can't turn off the artificial light sources, turn your image to black and white when editing. Black and white photos emphasize the emotion in the photo... especially birth photos.

· Use portrait mode if your phone has it.

· Get creative and have fun! Don’t forget to hop in the photos with baby and same for your spouse/partner.

Congratulations, parents! You are all rockstars!

⭐️ Fellow Photographers: you’re more than welcome to share my original post, but please don’t steal! Give credit where credit is due 🤗. I was made aware that some photographers are stealing this almost word for word and just saying “saw this on another photographer’s page” with zero credit and then boosting it for their own gain. Shame 🔔...

03/22/2020

Things are scary right now. Being pregnant can often come with a feeling of uncertainty and sometimes being pregnant feels scary. But especially now. We understand that being pregnant right now is such a scary time for so many. The uncertainty, stress and fear when thinking of your birthing location, provider and your health while getting ready to have your baby is a hard thing to have to deal with. For those that have had to cancel baby showers or are thinking of asking family to not come visit when baby is born, we’re sorry. To the pregnant people that chose to switch, last minute, to a midwife and have chosen to have a home birth, we understand. To those pregnant people that have decided to stay in the care of the provider they trust and have chosen to still birth at a hospital, we understand. There is no right or wrong choice here. Your health matters and your choices matter. We’re sorry you are having to make so many tough choices in the midst of an already uncertain time. Please know you don’t need to defend yourself or explain yourself to anyone. We support you.

We’re here for you.

03/09/2020

When it comes to parenthood, sometimes you got to do what it takes and nap whenever and wherever.

03/09/2020

Did you know that this week is Sleep Awareness Week?
As parents, sleep can be hard to come by! We recognize that sleep isn’t a “one-size-fits-all” part of life and that the “sleep when the baby sleeps” advice doesn’t work when you have multiple young children, work from home or a dozen other reasons! Sleep is important for your wellbeing and health, but we know that the way you catch up on your Zs looks different for everyone. Here are a few ideas:

-say “yes” to help: did someone you trust say “let me know if I can help in any way.” Try saying “I would love it if you came over and held the baby while I take a nap.”
-talk about your sleep needs with your partner.
-sleep in shifts: is your baby going through sleep regression or just has trouble sleeping? Stay up in shifts with your partner overnight. You both don’t need to be awake and the struggle can be shared. Even if you’re nursing, they can bring baby to you to eat when it’s time.
-get a postpartum doula. Different than a birth doula, postpartum doulas can help you with your baby, in your home, in so many ways (including helping you to be able to catch up on your sleep!).

We understand that these ideas don’t work for everyone; between different work schedules, demanding jobs, single parenthood, military life, disease, illnesses and more, everyone’s life looks different. If you feel that you’ve tried everything and are still struggling, bringing up baby’s sleep or yours to a doctor might be the next best step.

Stay tuned this week for some videos and posts on sleep tricks, swaddling tips and other things to help optimize your sleep!

03/08/2020

We are firm believers that women are amazing and powerful. Happy International Women’s day. 🎉

03/06/2020

We are really excited to be hosting childbirth classes at Thrive Parenting Resources! Head over to our website to register for classes and to check out the other services we offer.
www.greatermanchesterbirthservices.com

03/04/2020

Our website is live! Check it out!🎉

03/02/2020

It’s official!🥳 🎉
We are now Greater Manchester Birth Services! We are so excited to serve growing families in Manchester, NH and the rest of Hillsborough County! Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions.