As some of you know, I have a lot of ties to the birth community in the Triangle. I worked as an L&D nurse for five years at UNC hospital and was halfway through a Master's degree in midwifery when I changed course and decided to pursue photography as a profession instead of a hobby. There were many reasons for that decision, and I know with 100% certainty that it was the right one for me, but in the midst of the upheaval, the thing that gave me the most pause was my love for the women (and handful of men) that I worked with - the other nurses, the physicians, and the midwives who had inspired and furthered my love of the birth process. Among them, Meg always stood out. Not only is Meg my friend (our sons have gone to school together since they were three), but she was everything I wanted to be as a midwife: highly skilled, intuitive, compassionate, and tireless, willing to advocate for her patients both in the birth arena and the legislative one. Most of all, it was inspiring to see someone who so consistently found joy in her work, as one by one she helped people welcome the newest members of their families into the world and celebrated with and for them.

So it's hard to overstate how happy it made me to help her celebrate her family, too:

Turns out the midwives aren't the only ones who find joy in their work :D

xox,

annemie