A Kentucky midwife participated in the delivery of her own baby at a Frankfort clinic, but with an added catch–the birth was via Caesarean section.
Emily Dial asked photographer and friend Sarah Hill to document the unforgettable moment of her baby coming into the world, with the extraordinary involvement of the childbearing mother.
“Nurses, doctors, anaesthesiologists eagerly came in and took guesses if it was going to be a boy or a girl because what’s more exciting than pulling out your own baby if you also don’t know the sex?” Hill told the website.
Dial, whose career centers on childbirth, told the website that she found it thrilling to be able to connect the personal and the professional.
“It was tying together the two things I love the most: my family and my career. It truly was one of the happiest moments of my life,” Dial said. “It was truly a full circle moment.”
And Hill was there to capture it in all its glory.
Along with words of excitement, Hill also heaped praise on the new mother for her determination to deliver her own child.
“She was meant to bring babies into this world and didn’t let a little thing like a C-Section stop her from delivering her own! To watch her colleagues rally around her and make this happen was so beautiful. It was truly an honor to be there and capture this for her and Daniel...And surprise!! It’s a GIRL!!”
Hill also shared a set of photos from the birth.
Obstetricians Dr. Mark Wainwright and Dr. Amanda Hess assisted with the surgical delivery.
According to Hill, Wainwright made the cut and helped guide her hands to the baby.
Once Dial pulled the baby fully out of her abdomen, she raised her up and looked into her eyes.
“Lifting her out and seeing her face-to-face is that surreal moment every mum relives the rest of their lives: that moment you are face-to-face with your child and having that moment of awe.”
Emma Kaye Dial was born at 11:17 a.m. weighing 7 pounds, 15 ounces.
