Jane Photo » infant bereavement photography

Little angel | Vancouver Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep Photographer

admin — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 22:47:46 +0000

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Please say hello to Ms A, a little girl who arrived at term much loved by her parents and extended family. I was with them for Now I Lay Me Down to sleep on Tuesday as they said their farewells to their brave little fighter, standing in a protective circle as life support was withdrawn. I want Ms A’s family to know that we are holding each and every one of you–and your little girl–in our hearts now and in the future.

I also want to let the rest of you know, again, about the free services provided to bereaved families through Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep. Please visit our website at: NILMDTS.

The Baby James Project

admin — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 02:52:06 +0000

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I just learned about The Baby James Project and I wanted to mention it here in case this technique might be useful to someone. The Baby James project was begun by a colleague of mine, a fantastic newborn photographer named Blair Blanks, who some time ago lost her baby. It made me think of my youngest. On the day Meg was to be born, she began to vigorously kick. She kicked so hard she hurt me, inside out, and nothing I could do would stop her. That evening she arrived in a two-hour flurry of pain and pushing (a grea labour, let me tell you…two hours? I’m all over that!). I gave birth to both my girls at home, but I wonder, had we been in the hospital, whether fetal distress would have been diagnosed.

The text is taken from the Baby James Project website:

Some stillbirths are unexplained and some are unavoidable. But in some cases, stillbirths can be prevented if the mother is highly aware of her baby’s movements. You can track your baby’s activity by using a written log of kicks. While every baby is different, in general, babies in the third trimester should move at least 4-5 times an hour. If you detect a change, either a decrease in movement, or an unusual increase in your baby’s level of activity, it may mean your baby is in distress. Should either occur, call your doctor at once. If you can’t reach your doctor, go to the hospital to have your baby checked. Don’t wait until office hours; go to an ER if you have to. A “false alarm” is far better than having a stillborn baby.

The mission of the Baby James Project is to increase public awareness about stillbirth and the fetal assessment technique of kick counting, in hopes that no family needlessly endure the agony of losing a baby.

How It’s Done

*Start at about 24-28 weeks, when you feel your baby move regularly.

*Pick a time of day when your baby is usually active. Do your counts about the same time every day.

*Take note of your start time, sit or lie quietly and start counting distinct movements (rolls, turns, wiggles and jabs count too!).

*When you’ve felt ten movements, jot down how long it took.

*Do this daily You’ll soon get to know your baby’s patterns.

When There Is Cause For Concern

*If it takes more than two hours to feel ten movements.

*If your baby is moving 50% less than previously.

*If you notice a significant deviation from the pattern over the course of 3-4 days.

If Your Kick Count Shows A Significant Change In Movement…
Repeat the count for the next two hours. You may want to drink some juice or something cold.
If you still do not count ten movements in those two hours, or if the amount of movement felt is 50% less than usual, call your doctor or GO TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM! Do not wait until the next morning.
The next morning may be too late!

Omg, could I be more thrilled and proud?

admin — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 21:05:21 +0000

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My little client, Sofie, just won the regional Seattle division of the Sandy Puc’ Model Search!

I don’t think I can be in Seattle on Sunday, but I wanted to give Sofie and her lil sis Penelope a great big shout-out and tell them to break a leg on the big stage…

Mom just picked up her images from their session yesterday, and when I called to tell her Sofie had won, she said she’d been loving on all the images I’d created, now that she had them home, and was just thrilled to bits. She said she had been wanting to have custom photography done for ages, but had just never gotten around to it, but then when it was a question of also helping out NILMDTS, she just had to jump. Then she said, “Jane, what’s it like having a job where you make people so happy?”

I thought that was just the neatest way to think about photography.

So what is it like? The kiddos I photograph just wiggle right into my heart, and I understand when teachers say, “Those are my kids.” ‘Cause they are, every one of them, mine in some tiny way. To paraphrase the late and missed author Jane Rule, they just “reached in and wrapped a string of lights around my heart.”

Okay, okay, I’m kid-crazy. Always have been. Always will be. It’s an honour and a deep pleasure to have this job, and to be trusted to make lasting family memories.

I get such a kick out of thinking that these images will be on people’s walls long after all the other contemporaneous stuff we spend money on is gone…the TVs, the cars, the stereos, the computers…all relegated to the dust heap while the images live on and on, cherished more each year. I mean, really. How cool is that? It is the one purchase we can make that becomes more and more precious to us the more time passes. The pain of paying for it will last a few months, but the joy that it brings…forever.

For those who aren’t familiar with the Model Search, each vote for each child costs $1 US, and every penny goes to the deserving organization for which I am a Vancouver Area Coordinator, Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep. Thanks to everyone who donated a vote or more! You can still vote at Sandy Puc’ Votes.

Baby Ella

admin — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 21:03:07 +0000

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This is little baby Ella, who this morning lost her nearly 8-month battle to stay in this world. She was so very, very dear, and she will be missed so much by everyone who knew her. Please hold Ella and her brave, sorrowing family, in your hearts.

I photographed Ella at Children’s Hospital for Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep.

Holding you close, Ella…and holding Yo and Chris and families close as they move through this difficult time.

NILMDTS

admin — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 21:25:25 +0000

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As many of you know, I am one of the Area Coordinators for Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep. Please visit our website if you have not done so before at: Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep.

Last week was a very active week for me. I taught two in-services for nurses at Women’s Hospital about how to take better Point and Shoot photographs for parents suffering an early infant loss–sometimes NILMDTS volunteers just can’t be there, and it’s a great thing that nurses do in our stead.

But I also did photography for a young family from the island who were removing life support from their 3 month old daughter. They are going to have such a long struggle ahead, and I hope that our images will be of some help in the healing process; my heart will be holding them close.

I have another little baby, Sam, in my heart this week as well. Sam was born still late in February, and NILMDTS was not able to be there. I am working on images his family took, and really holding him close to me.

I have another little guy in my heart too, gone too soon at 19 weeks.

As well, the little daughter of a family who was recommended for my Giving is Awesome session at Xmas died this week after living three (unexpected) months. You can visit my facebook page and follow their story.

Families, please know that my heart is with yours and that I will be thinking of you, and of your little lost kids, as time goes forward, and wishing all the best for you.

Hearts hold so much sorrow. They hold it. They go forward holding it. They go forward. In sorrow. We walk beside them, holding them soft and close, rocking them steady. Rocking them slow. Hugging them tight.

Jane Photo — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 06:19:00 +0000

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I wanted–once again–to bring everyone’s attention to the organization I vounteer for, Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep. This US organization supplies volunteer photographers to families experiencing an infant death, and has been featured in the Vancouver Sun and Macleans magazine this fall. I have written a brief article for Urban Baby and Toddler, a BC publication, for their winter issue. As well, Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep will be profiled on Newsworld TV the evening of Dec 8.

I want everyone to speak of this wonderful organization, if you could, with one friend, and ask that your friend do the same with one of their friends. There are so very many BC parents experiencing infant loss, and I long for the day when each and every one of them will know about, and utilize if they wish, NILMDTS services. Professional photographers, volunteer all, provide sensitive in-hospital sessions and then provide a CD of images free of charge. As always, folks can find out more at: www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org.

I shot three new babies for Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep this week, and one maternity for this lovely woman featured below, T, and her sweet loving husband, M. They lost their son, Jos, last Thursday, and I know they miss him more than words can ever express.

Evangeline Grace

Jane Photo — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 21:24:00 +0000

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On the subject of Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep and parents who will be having a rough time this Thanksgiving, I wanted so much to share these images captured just last week of tiny, adorable Evangeline Grace for her grieving parents, S and R. She arrived much, much too early, at 20 weeks, suffering from Trisomy 18. There is so, so much love evident in these photographs. Her sorrowing parents just sent me this email:

I meant to e-mail you and let you know that we received the dvd. The photos are absolutely beautiful! It was such a relief to receive them because the photos we took with our own camera in the hospital are very dark and it is very difficult to make out Evangeline in them. When we saw the photos you took it brought such relief to me that I will be able to see her forever now. The NILMDTS organization and you are such a godsend. I don’t think most people realize how important it is to capture these special “angel babies’ on film for the parents to be able to look upon them and spend special moments thinking about their babies. We are forever grateful to you and the NILMDTS organization for making our situation just a little bit easier. My husband I are were commenting earlier how it takes a really special and caring person to do what you do and to be so kind with a warm heart and warm words; we can never thank you enough. You are a true inspiration. …We would love to share with others the photos of Evangeline.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts,

S and R

Please, as always, feel free to leave a comment below about this or any other blog entry.

Welcome, welcome Noah Jonathan!

Jane Photo — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 22:50:00 +0000

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Noah’s parents waited a very long time to welcome him into the world. Noah was diagnosed with a condition called Trisomy 13 way back in early October. His folks weren’t sure whether his mom would be able to maintain her pregnancy, or not, or whether, in fact, they’d be able to meet little Noah when he arrived. His mom had quite a bit of false labour over the last week or so, and then on Friday she decided it was getting a little worse, and she called her husband to come home from work. They raced to the hospital to discover she was already 8 cm dilated, and little Noah popped out a couple quick hours later. Although his mom hadn’t gone quite to term, he was still a hefty 6 lbs 8 oz. Everyone was over the moon to meet such a thriving baby boy, and thrilled that he’s so well word has it the family is able to go home with Noah today.

The grannies and grampas were at the hospital to say hello and fall heads over heels in love with their new grandchild.

It was an honour and a true pleasure to be with Noah Jonathan as he said hello to this new world, and I’m so pleased to have been able to capture his sweet first moments.

If you want to see more, there is a slideshow on my portrait site on the page called NILMDTS. I photographed Noah for this great organization, based in Colorado. Please do let people know about them. For those in need, we volunteer photographers are all around the lower Mainland, and in fact dotted through all of Canada, and you can find a list of us on their site at

I also photographed Noah’s mom’s maternity, so if you’re keen to see a few snaps from that shoot, scroll down to December 2007.

In the Early Whispering Hours

Jane Photo — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 23:56:00 +0000

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In the early hours of Christmas night, when snow fell softly across the city, Angel was born to her loving, longing and brave mama. Although the studio is closed for the holidays, I felt it was important to be there with Angel’s mother as Angel joined and left their family.

I made photographs of beautiful little Angel for the organization Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep, a non-profit foundation dedicated to creating infant bereavement photography. I was honoured to be with Angel’s family at this difficult time in their lives. Angel was so wanted, and well loved, and will be sorely missed.

I have taken the following text from the Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep website, where the sentiments are expressed more eloquently than I could possibly tender them:

Pregnancy and birth are miraculous journeys. This amazing time of life is full of mystery, anticipation, joy, hope, and wonder. Feeling the powerful energy of birth and new life, watching as a new family is born unto each other. These things humble and amaze. These are the things that we celebrate when a baby is born.

But there is another aspect of pregnancy and birth. There is an unexpected place in this journey where some families may find themselves. When a baby dies, a world is turned upside down. There is confusion, sadness, fear, and uncertainty that cannot be explained. There is sorrow where there should have been joy. During this time, it might be impossible for families to know what they might need in order to heal in the future.

This is the place where the Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep Foundation gently provides a helping hand and a healing heart. For families overcome by grief and pain, the idea of photographing their baby may not immediately occur to them. Offering gentle and beautiful photography services in a compassionate and sensitive manner is the heart of this organization. The soft, gentle heirloom photographs of these beautiful babies are an important part of the healing process. They allow families to honor and cherish their babies, and share the spirits of their lives.

A sad time for M and J

Jane Photo — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 01:48:00 +0000

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A couple I’ll call M and J contacted me recently through the auspices of Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep, for whom I shoot remembrance photography, in hopes that I’d be able to photography their newborn when he sallies forth into the world sometime in the next month. Little N has been diagnosed with the chromosomal abnormality Trisomy 13. I quote from the website livingwithtrisomy13.org:

Also called Trisomy 13 Syndrome, having a third (extra) number 13 chromosome, occurs about 1 in 5,000 live births. Trisomy 13 children have multiple abnormalities. Some include heart defects, brain defects, cleft lip, cleft palate. The most severe are visual abnormalities, omphalocele, proboscis and holoprosencephaly. Because of the many abnormalities, we believe all of these children are survivors if they reach their mothers arms. They are true miracles of life. Many only survive outside their mothers womb a few short minutes, hours or days. While others can go home and survive months. Sadly, many of the children with Trisomy13 (Patau Syndrome) do not reach their first birthday.

At 29 weeks along, M and J know they are having a son. They have an older boy, D, who is just the sweetest little guy ever. When they visited my studio on a frigid evening recently for a few maternity photographs, even though it was bedtime little D managed to be nothing but engaging for the whole hour and a half. Quite an accomplishment, I’d say, and I’m so pleased he’s able to be involved with his tiny brother’s life. Even if he’s too young to remember all this, he’ll have these photographs.

All during the session, M was feeling, and seeing big strong kicks. Little N is definitely a fighter.

I wish M and J days of peace ahead. I am honoured to be in their lives.