Lolly stirk & Birth, it's in the family

I’m on call again this January to document a birth, and it is something that I’m always so honoured to be a part of. 

My mother, Lolly Stirk, is a pioneer in her field. Her career, spanning 35 years, has been dedicated to creating and developing the ideal yoga practice for pregnancy, labour, birth and beyond. She began studying yoga in 1969 and when I was born in 1974, she was drawn into the world of birth. She attended hundreds of births as a doula. was a founder member of the Active Birth Movement. She campaigned for the rights of women to move freely during the births of their babies, contributing to a global movement towards natural births and resulting in changes to policy, establishing birth centres in many major hospitals. 

Me and Lolly Stirk on the cover of New Life.

YOGA, PREGNANCY AND BIRTH

Growing up in the 70’s, with two yoga teachers for parents, our house was always full of anatomy charts, perineum herbs and circles of pregnant women exhaling. Every Wednesday my mum would hold her post natal class in our home, and the living room would fill up with babies, whilst their mothers did the yoga. 

I witnessed my first birth at the age of six. My mum was called out to attend the birth of a friend, and with my dad away the only option was for me to tag along. It was a home birth and I remember being totally at ease throughout, and then utterly awestruck at the arrival of a new, tiny human in the room. I went on to attend the births of numerous friends, and was lucky enough to welcome my god children into the world.

PREGNANCY AND BIRTH PHOTOGRAPHy

The exposure to my mothers work has given me an innate respect for the birth space and a sensitivity to the needs of pregnant and birthing women. As a photojournalist, quietly disappearing into the shadows is second nature and I am very aware of staying out of the way of birth professionals, allowing the process to unfold undisturbed. 

Witnessing the moments when a baby is born is never anything short of miraculous. Being invited to document a birth is such an honour, be it home birth, or a planned c section in a hospital, it is a life changing event. My aim is to capture your birth story, from the tiny details to the high emotions that come with welcoming the next member of your family into the world.

You can find out more about my mum Lolly Stirk by viewing her website at https://www.lollystirk.co.uk/

Get in touch with me via my contact form to talk about documenting your birth.