Birth Photography & Doula Services
Ann Arbor, Brighton, Pinkney, Ypsilanti
Birth Photography and Doula Team serving Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Southfield, Detroit, Brighton, Howell, Waterford, Michigan and the surrounding areas.
Jennifer and Kathleen
Jennifer and Kathleen are professional birth photographers and doulas, We work together to support our clients. Through backup relief, teamwork and time off, we provide 24/7 on-call time and hold space for our clients and each other.
We welcome and support ALL types of families and birth stories, birth types and locations. LGBTQIA+ friendly and Transgender Safe Space
Jennifer Mason, Kathleen Ruvalcava
Words From Our Clients…
Devon Corley - Ann Arbor, Michigan
“I came to Jenn and Kathleen not really sure what to expect, or what I would even get out of having a doula. I just knew I wanted to feel less alone in the birthing process than I had with my first pregnancy. It turns out that working with Jenn and Kathleen was one of the best decisions I could have made to prepare me for labor, delivery and postpartum. Right away, they were both curious and interested in getting to know me, hear about my experiences and preferences, and I felt very supported. They both have wonderful senses of humor that put me at ease, even as I came to them with questions (is my house too messy to labor at home? Are these contractions actual labor? How should I communicate my birth preferences to my medical team?).
Their depth of experience was a steady voice of perspective guiding me through a week of prodromal labor, followed by a joyful, confident, and unmedicated hospital birth in which I felt deeply supported. They took the time to nurture a real relationship with me: so by the time I was in labor, I knew I could trust them, which helped me to trust myself even more. They facilitated good communication with the midwives and nurses at the hospital, so it truly felt like I had a whole team supporting me while I delivered my baby.
I had an unexpected medical complication several hours after delivery, and they continued to communicate with me for weeks afterwards, offering tips, resources and suggestions for a healthy recovery.
All along the way, Jenn and Kathleen took the most incredible photographs, documenting powerful moments of the journey I will treasure forever. I really do think the photos speak for themselves, and it means so much to me to have the profound emotions of those moments captured. It’s amazing to me that they are able to create photographic art on this level while also providing incredible doula support in real time, but they are masters of both.
Jenn and Kathleen make an amazing team. I’m forever grateful for their support. “
Devon A. C
Our Services
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Birth Photography
Our most popular package!
We bring a calming presense to your birth space, joining you in active labor to capture the beautiful details of your birth story, staying until your new family is tucked in to bed.
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Doula Support
The evidence is in! Doulas improve birth outcomes. Our birth doula package includes a Birth Preferences session, support for early labor (including that all important question “How do I know when it’s labor?” all the way through until your baby is in your arms.
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Birth Films
Cinematic birth video that tells your child’s birth story. This is quickly becoming our most requested add-on!
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Childbirth Education
The informed parents’ guide to childbirth
Cesarean Birth - What if we say “Yes!”
Birth options and choices are always important, but families who have a cesarean birth are often given very little choice in anything that happens during their birth. We want to change that! We want families to be a part of their birth story, not just have it happening to them.
Hospitals, Midwives & Friends
We work in many locations in the Ann Arbor area including hospitals University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, St. Joseph’s Hospital in Ypsilanti, Beaumont Troy, Nine Short Months / Bloom Birth Center in Southfield.
We also work with incredible homebirth midwives including; Celeste Groenenberg and Patricia Couch of Gentle Mama Homebirth Midwifery, Colleen Maheswaran of Forest River Midwifery, Khadijah Bansfield of Heart and Soul Midwifery, Savannah Stone of Magpie Midwifery, Heather Robinson of Beautiful Birth Detroit, Tiffany Farr, and Helen Eggertsen.