FAQ - Breathe and Bloom Co.

1. Where are you located?

I am based in Southern Illinois. I routinely serve families across the region for doula services, birth photography, maternity, Fresh 48, and newborn sessions. For on-call birth photography, I only travel to Memorial Hospital of Carbondale for hospital births OR homes within a 50 mile radius of my home to ensure I can make it to your delivery in time.

2. What is a doula?

A doula provides continuous, non-medical support throughout your entire active labor and delivery. This includes physical comfort (hip squeezes, massage, and position changes), emotional reassurance, and helping you and your partner understand your options as labor progresses.

3. what is birth photography?

Birth photography is entirely documentary-style. I do not bring bright, intrusive studio lights or ask you to pose. Instead, I capture the raw, honest, and beautiful moments of your labor, delivery, and the golden hour immediately following birth—the quiet strength, your support partner’s reaction, and those first tiny details of your baby.

4. Can I have a doula even if i have a c-section?

Absolutely! Cesarean births are beautiful, powerful birth stories that deserve to be documented just as deeply as vaginal births. If a C-section is scheduled, or if your labor shifts into an unplanned surgical birth, I am fully prepared to capture your journey.

5. HOw do you balance being my doula and my photographer?

My priority is always your physical, emotional, and mental well-being. During early and active labor, my hands are entirely on you, helping you breathe, providing comfort techniques, and supporting your partner. I lift my camera to take photographs during the quiet spaces, the intense moments where your partner has you fully supported, and right as your baby arrives.

6. Do you use flash during delivery?

Occasionally, I will, but I try not to. Delivery rooms are sacred, dim, and intimate spaces. I use a professional camera body and lens setup that is specifically designed to maximize ambient low light without needing a bright flash, but if I have to use my flash, I will use it sparingly and only if I think the scene needs it. My camera also features a completely silent electronic shutter, meaning you will never hear a loud clicking sound distracting you from your labor focus.

7. do you have to share my birth photos online?

No. Your privacy is absolutely respected. Birth is an incredibly intimate space, and you have complete control over your images. Before your gallery is delivered, you choose exactly which photos stay private and which photos, if any, you are comfortable sharing for my portfolio or social media pages.

8. Do you offer payment plans?

Yes. Bringing a baby into the world comes with many financial shifts, and I want to make this investment manageable. We break your two thousand dollar investment into a flexible payment schedule. A non refundable retainer is paid up front to officially secure your due date on my calendar, and the remaining balance is split into manageable monthly installments leading up to your thirty seventh week of pregnancy.