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Baby Conditions

Lesson 10 from: Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep

Sandy Puc

Baby Conditions

Lesson 10 from: Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep

Sandy Puc

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Lesson Info

10. Baby Conditions

Next Lesson: Common Questions

Lesson Info

Baby Conditions

Let's talk a little bit about the session and during the session, some of these things that you might run into when a baby is born alive. The first question photographers always ask. Is it okay if I touch the baby? It's a personal preference. Many of our photographers are absolutely not comfortable holding or touching or moving the babies, and that is totally fine. Many of us have no problems moving or touching a baby. I think it is appropriate to always have a nurse available or a parent assisting you if possible. My comfort level has always been no problem. I could do anything, but there is a safety issue there, and you you want to be very careful that you're not alone. Does the baby experience any pain? Any baby who is on life support or who's being removed off of life support does have medications. They do not feel pain, even if it even if you're concerned facial expressions movements, they are not in any pain. Nurses would not allow that these babies are very much medicated and ve...

ry comfortable as's faras changing the baby's clothes. There will be occasions where babies, usually when we find them. They are in an outfit. Many times they're too big, they're very bulky. And part of what we do is offer the opportunity tohave, amore, intimate portrait. The skin on skin where it's possible parents typically can change their babies. Some parents will choose not to see or touch their babies. In that case, the nurse can do it. If you are feeling like there's nobody to do it, it is I mean, go out and find a nurse and find somebody who can help you. When I'm with a mom, I always ask Mom if she would like to undress the baby and if she is unsure of herself, shakes her head, doesn't want to. I asked her. Is it OK if I do it? Um, and of course she will confirm that. And then I feel comfortable while she's present, undressing the baby and handing the baby back to Mom. If, um, the baby is on life support, this does it is game changer because the baby usually can't be moved. And this is where the nurses just become heroes because they have all these great ideas and ways. Teoh really get some pretty amazing images in some of the hardest situations possible. Now, if the baby has been pat or has already passed away, Um, there may be different locations for the baby. Sometimes you'll get there and the baby will be in the room with the parents. Typically, the baby is in the isolate or somewhere near, maybe even being held by Mom. Many times the baby is actually in a refrigerated situation. Once the parents have held the baby and bend with the baby, it will be taken out just to preserve the baby. They will put it in a refrigerator, so sometimes when you find a baby, the baby is very cold on. Do you can you can. It's a little startling, and they do become very stiff when they're cold. And so it it is something that you have to be prepared for. We talked about if the baby's head feels broken or separated. Onda, obviously after a baby has passed away, they do become very stiff, and, uh, you know it's a little harder to move their body, but keep in mind that we move the parents to the body instead of trying to manipulate or move the body. If you see blood or fluid. This is very common, especially bleeding through the nose. It is just a habit that when I walk into a room, the first thing I do a stick tissue in my pocket because any baby that has passed away the movement posing a baby, putting the baby in this position. If you lean it forward there, it's very strong potential that blood will come from the nose. It usually is very little. It can be very startling to Mom. Uh, there's sort of a mechanical reaction where she for 1/10 of a second, even though this may be made, this baby maybe passed away. There is that sort of maternal instinct that he's bleeding or and it's just 1/ of a second where they even I've done it before. Why? I thought, Oh my gosh, she's bleeding. And you know, you have to realize that that's just part of that process. So very quickly, I just you know, I'm prepared for it. I wipe that away on, and I'm very careful when it comes to that. So that is, that is very common. There are other places. The very severe, severe baby you saw there was fluid all over the baby's dress. She obviously was bleeding in several areas and tearing. And so a lot of times the clothing is discolored again. Another reason why we go to black and white in these severe cases. So if you see blood or fluid, you can ask a nurse to help you or you can. Of course, if you're comfortable, take care of it yourself. Autopsies or another one that are very common, depending on the situation. And a baby that has gone through an autopsy could have numerous areas that are stitched. And so there may be stitching through the head through the back, through the arms. And those babies air very, very fragile. And in those cases, I usually the nurse will tell you that we shouldn't touch them. We also, every once in a while, have to work in funeral homes where there has been an autopsy and we usually let the funeral director handle the baby's there as well, because again there are There is so much stitching and it's something that you have to be prepared for. We do have sessions that are in funeral homes. Sometimes parents hear about us after the fact. Sometimes the baby's transported to the funeral home faster than we can get there. And so this is something that you may run across. It is absolutely your choice whether or not you will choose to accept those sessions. My personal hope is that you would. There's really no difference between me between a hospital room or a funeral home. I know for some people, it's a comfort issue, but once you're in there, there is no difference whatsoever. And so at that point, as Faras holding the baby really work with the director, they may know something that you need to know. But if you get the go ahead, it's exactly in the hospital. The parents gonna hold the baby. You are able to move the baby assed faras the casket. That is your choice. I tend to photograph some less photo journalistic style, but I will capture the room, the environment, the casket. But again, my focus is always that very tight, intimate scenario. So I think I do it. It's sort of a just in case, but it's certainly not a requirement, but it is OK to showcase the room on. And, of course, the parents. Whenever you can involve them, you would want to. Typically, if you're been called to a funeral home, they their they're they want those images. Um, and really, As I said, focus on the little details so that you could make the best out of that situation. One question going through this retouching session was from bananas. How do you prepare parents for how much retouching you're going to dio? Depending on the situation, most of the parents have seen the brochures. They've been to the website, and so I don't think we really have to explain to them. In fact, in the most severe cases, I've never taken the time to talk to a parent in that moment. So the parents, the nurses typically explained that not only will we photograph them, but that we will take care of any of the things that are considered damage from the actual loss. And I think that the nurses do a great job assuring the parents that that can happen because that's the number. One thing a parent will say is, But you know she's bleeding, her skin is tearing, and nurses will really help them understand that that's part of the what we offer some parents will request. I don't want anything retouched. I want her to be just like she isn't. We totally understand that it's pretty rare. And every once in a while after we've provided the gift apparent may contact the photographer and say, Can I have the raw images? Can I have that? And of course, we would provide that to them as well. But our initial goal is always that we are a professional portrait organization and then we go from there. Thank you. Okay, question from Jan Sexton. Who says Is it appropriate? Especially during the charity model search to contact our local TV station and suggest that they do a story on now. I lay me down to sleep in hopes of getting donations, booking sessions for the contest and getting more photographers to join. Absolutely. That's why I designed that concept is that I wanted at the time I built that we were in the other recession and, uh, really, my photographers were struggling and this was something that I was trying to find a way to help them build their businesses, and I felt like if I could not only provide them a strong marketing campaign. But I could also give us an opportunity to give a voice to an incredible non profit. It made sense. So absolutely not Only can you do that, we provide you all the tools we provide you press releases. We provide you ways to contact your local media. Once you've initialized that contact, we do request that you come back to headquarters and work through our PR people again. It's not that we need the glory. I certainly have no part of that. But headquarters R R P R director will make sure that the information is being relayed correctly because little things like we only photographed 25 weeks and up can start. A fury of my baby was 24 weeks and is a baby, so it's really a matter of getting the details right. And absolutely we would love the more press we get, the better it is we find. We know when a story happens in the local media because immediately we see checks coming in and donations coming in. So so we appreciate every one of those great Well, we hope to see more of those checks and donations coming in today. So I think that's great. And thank you to everybody out there. I know that the site has been blowing up and this is really quite an amazing event. So thank you. Creative life. So, folks, we're gonna have our last 15 minute break of the day. And again, thank you for the outpouring of support that we've been seeing Hair creativelive as well. Aziz at the narrowly. Now I lay me down to sleep website. I wanted to share with you Another story from Russell Harrison, who has been active in the chat room today is everyone's been sharing their stories. And he lost his twin boys, Jesse Philip and Dale Richard who he did the nurses told him about. Now I lay me down to sleep in the hospital and they were born premature. And he was able toe have, um, photographed. By now, I lay me down to sleep affiliate and he's He shared that. I have friends who are anguished that they don't have any good pictures to remember their babies with When I see them cry saying I can't remember what she looked like. It breaks my heart. I carry a photo of my boys in my camera bag to remind me of my goal of becoming affiliate and because it is comforting toe have them with me. So it's stories like these that tugged at my heart, and, um, that's why we're here today. It ISS and folks were asking for your donations. Now I lay me down to sleep in two ways. If you're currently on now, I lay me down to sleep affiliate or you would like to become one. You're welcome to purchase this training right now on the Creative Life Course page That will really help the organization as well as going to the Now I lay me down to sleep website directly. If you'd just like to make a donation, that would also be amazing. Either way, please take a moment and go and donate right now. That is why we're all here today to try to raise as much money as we possibly can for this organization.

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