I met a doula in Uppsala
It was a sunny may morning at the restaurant.
I was behind the bar, as usual, getting busy preparing for lunch.
The bright green color of her dress caught my eye. Then I saw it: she was VERY pregnant!
I had to go to the office for a while.
I told my wife (who also works with me): "Don't let her go before I've come back".
When I arrived in Sweden and found my job at the restaurant, I worked a lot and found little to no energy to invest in advertising for my birth photography business.
I thought I would have to make the best out of my time spent at work, so I decided to set myself up for a challenge:
I would introduce myself and hand my business card to every pregnant woman who came inside the restaurant, offering a free birth documentary session.
I also set up a frame with one of my photos and info in the toilet where we had the changing table.
It rarely worked, I must admit.
The combination of how new birth photography is in Sweden and my waitress' uniform wasn't helping.
That day though, what happened between the green-colored dress lady and me was simply meant to be.
She came with a friend.
In the beginning, I didn’t have the impression that they were going to stay.
They approached the bar and I said hi.
Then, they ordered something to eat and, as they were paying, I asked the lady in the green dress if she lived in town, or if they were just visiting.
She said she had just moved here three months ago. I was surprised and said:
"Oh! that's great news!"
I took one of my business cards from my pocket and I said "I am a birth photographer."
She grabbed my hand, very tight.
"I was looking for you" - were the exact words she pronounced - "I am a birth photographer and doula myself."
It was friendship at first sight.
What followed was a conversation about due dates, more coincidences, and a plan to meet and speak more about her baby and photos.
In a rush since she was almost due, we decided to plan a natural pregnancy session in nature.
My wife prepared a little picnic, and together with her and her husband we drove our van to Gävle.
There's a spot somewhere by the sea that we love and I couldn't stop thinking about it for our session.
We had a great time with thousands of mosquito friends who joined the party 🦟
Lyuba was too easy to work with. She was so used to being in front of the camera that, even with the dizziness she felt during the last stage of her pregnancy, it took us only about half an hour to create memorable portraits of her just about to become a mother.
Having so much in common, we had a lot to talk about. We saw each other a lot before her baby was born, within a matter of two weeks after this session at the beach.
I remember having dinner with her and her husband one evening.
She and I had been out around Uppsala taking photos of me for a project she was working on. 👆
Before I went back home that night, Lyuba said to me: “Don't hurry. I don't think this baby will want to come tonight.”
It was June 19th, and the baby was expected on the 23rd (which by the way, is my birthday as well!).
Well... that wasn't quite it.
I got a call from Zhenya at 2:30 asking me to come home.
I arrived to their place about an hour later.
Lyuba was in the bath tab. They had created a soft atmosphere, lit candles, and had soft music playing in the background.
After a couple of hours, she knew she was ready to move into the hospital.
The story of how her son Theo came into this world is special in its own way, and I will write it soon on another blog. Such a magical birth. 🤎
Thank you, dear Lyuba, for allowing me to share your story here. It will always mean a lot to me. 🥰
You can learn more from Lyuba’s work as a doula and photographer at @birth_moments 🤗
With love,
Paloma✨
