The Birthkeeper, LLC - Missouri Birth & Creative Services

25/04/2025

✨ The Power of Birth, the Beauty of Home ✨

There’s something sacred about welcoming new life in the space where love already lives. Witnessing this first-time mama bring her baby earthside, surrounded by warmth, water, and the steady presence of her mother there by her side, who is also a wonderful midwife in the Mid-Missouri area.

No bright lights. No rush. Just trust. Breath. Intuition.
She labored in her rhythm, and when her baby arrived, it was into hands held out with love, in a room that already knew her heart.

This is the magic of homebirth, raw, real, and deeply rooted in connection.
The way her partner whispered words of encouragement. The way her mother wept with joy, seeing her baby girl give birth to a new life. The way her baby opened their eyes and found home, immediately.

Birth isn’t just about arrival. It’s about presence. And this birth? It was presence in its purest form. 🌊💛

- Danielle The Birthkeeper, LLC - Missouri Birth & Creative Services
www.thebirthkeeperllc.com

22/04/2025

In her body, she carries the rhythm of the Earth, life forming within life, a sacred echo of creation. In her embrace, creation continues. On this , I honor the mothers who remind us of nature's enduring power and grace.

Pulled this image out of the archives. I originally did not edit this one and I was called to do so today. Another capture to add to her collection.

- Danielle
The Birthkeeper, LLC - Missouri Birth & Creative Services
www.thebirthkeeperllc.com

19/04/2025

Powerful words in this post. When humanity loses connection with the essence of natural, physiological birth, we sever our bond with the wisdom of our bodies, the strength of our ancestors, and the sacred rhythm that births not only life, but our deepest sense of trust, power, and belonging.

👁️ Did you ever wonder why the baby’s taken across the room? Why the cord is clamped fast, the mother left shaking, the lights so bright it feels like judgment?

Did you ever feel the stillness—the eerie quiet when the father’s hands are empty, the grandmother’s not in the room, and the newborn is nowhere near a breast?

It’s not just medicine.
It’s not just policy.
It’s a ritual.
And it’s not ours.

🧬 They inject pig-derived Pitocin to mimic the hormone God designed to flood a woman’s brain in labor. But it doesn’t reach the brain. It only contracts the body.
The love doesn’t flow.
The imprint doesn’t land.
The bonding doesn’t seal.
Just pressure. Just force.

💉 Synthetic love.
⚡ Counterfeit release.
🧠 Neurological silence.

And while the woman is watched but not touched, while the baby is wiped but not suckled, while the father is praised for being “supportive” but not leading—
they cut the thread.

👶 The mother-baby dyad was made to reflect divine intimacy. To pass down trust, peace, protection.
But when it’s broken—
the body remembers.
The child stores the grief.
The mother learns disconnection.
The father fades from view.

That’s how it starts. But it doesn’t end there.

Then come the bottles.
The cribs.
The high chairs.
The eight-hour separations called school.
The praise of independence that is really just early detachment.
The lie that the nuclear family is enough. That Mom runs the home. That Dad is just for weekends. That children are safest raised by strangers in buildings funded by gods they do not know.

🕳️ We are not looking at broken systems.
We are looking at precision-engineered fragmentation.

And you feel it. You’ve felt it all along.
That something was taken before you could name it.
That someone was missing even while you were being told you had “everything you need.”

But listen: the lie only wins if we let it.
And we won’t.
We are pulling the babies back to the breast.
We are restoring the mother's voice in the birth room.
We are putting grandmothers back at the table.
We are praying over the placenta.
We are keeping them close at night.
We are burning the counterfeit and walking in the design.
This is not soft work.
It is a holy war

17/04/2025

Storytime from this beautiful mama—a glimpse into what support looked like for her while birthing her son in the comfort of her home.

Through my creative work, my goal is always to capture connection, storytelling you can feel through imagery. I hope these moments, paired with Paige’s heartfelt words, allow you to experience that connection, too.

"My husband is a strong believer in physiologic birth, he will fiercely defend our choice to birth at home to those who question it. It is his confidence, intuition, and awe of the female body that make him the most incredible labor support. There are not words to express how impactful that is both physically and emotionally as the laborer. It’s a supportive touch, hip squeezes, or words of encouragement always at the right time that propels one through a trying set of contractions or a moment of doubt. I quite simply could not and would not want to labor without him.

This pregnancy we found ourselves without a midwife at 32 weeks. It brought on a lot of stress to start over in the selection of our birth team. Little did we know then that it would be the best thing to happen to us. Our birth team was comprised of the most incredible women. Their support in navigating each challenge in labor kept me comfortable and confident. They were hands on when I needed support and hands off when I was in a rhythm. They were honest and encouraging through each challenge labor presented.

“I felt SO supported” is a phrase I have iterated countless times since giving birth. The confidence of every individual in our birthing space created the most beautiful atmosphere."

www.thebirthkeeperllc.com


























Presets: Embrace Presets - Lightroom & ACR Presets

28/03/2025

I had the incredible honor of documenting and attending another beautiful homebirth this week. Today marks my 12th year doing this incredible work here in Mid-Missouri, and let me tell you, it was nothing short of magical to capture another empowered birth to share with you all. The moment this strong mama brought her chunky little one into the world, you could feel the joy and awe in the room. He was such a little bundle of love, round cheeks, tiny hands, and all the sweet rolls you could imagine. His arrival was trusted by everyone in the room and was powerful, a true testament to her strength. More of his birth story will come soon, but for now, can you take a guess at how hefty this little one is?!

-Danielle
www.thebirthkeeperllc.com
Mid-Mo Birth Photographer & Doula

21/03/2025

This is definitely a step in the right direction. However, I’d like to see better access to IBCLCs (International Board Certified Lactation Consultants) and expanded coverage for lactation support services. Many parents need more guidance and assistance in this critical area.

For babies who cannot breastfeed, it’s crucial they receive proper nutrition to support brain development. Fat is essential for this growth, and unfortunately, certain ingredients commonly found in formula, like seed oils, including soy products, can interfere with the body’s ability to absorb vital nutrients. Corn syrup, often one of the first ingredients listed on formula labels, is another concern. It disrupts the body’s metabolism and can increase the risk of developing diabetes and other long-term health problems.

I am also encouraged by the growing awareness around the need for further testing for heavy metals in baby food and formula. This is an important development, and I’m glad to see that progress is being made in this area to ensure the safety and health of our children.

After meeting with CEOs of top infant formula manufactures today, Secretary Kennedy + FDA announced Operation Stork Speed to expand options for safe, reliable, and nutritious infant formula for American families.

Learn more ➡️ https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/operation-stork-speed.html

19/03/2025

True beauty is found in the quiet, tender moments, where love, connection and nurturing bloom. The simplicity of everyday life, yet every detail is magical to the eyes of the mother embracing her child.

There's something so primal that emerges from motherhood. The smells, touch, sounds, and the way our eyes connect trigger powerful, natural hormones to flow through our bodies like a wild river, overflowing with love for the perfectly knitted tiny human we created within us.

Pure magic.

~ Danielle
www.thebirthkeeperllc.com

27/02/2025

Just a girl and her cake! 🎂

I can’t believe I almost forgot to share these super cute photos I took during one of my “Grow With Me” sessions! This little one has been a joy to document as she hit each milestone this past year. From tiny baby to cake-smashing queen, it’s been a sweet ride! 🍰💕

-Danielle
www.thebirthkeeperllc.com
The Birthkeeper, LLC - Missouri Birth & Creative Services

25/02/2025

Hospital VBAC story from one of my amazing clients. Here is her story and some of the images I captured from her birth.

"The nerves and anxiety revolving around a VBAC and all of the risks of having one are so valid! I don’t think I fully trusted my body to do what it needed to do until I was in the moment and doing it. I wanted to experience the power and natural instincts our bodies have, and I did just that! Beginning early in the morning, we started our journey with a slow and gentle induction. I bounced and moved on the ball, and walked the halls to get baby boy to drop lower. Shortly after noon, Danielle arrived and my midwife broke my waters. This is where things go quick for me (so it feels like it went quickly).

Within maybe an hour of being off of Pitocin and my body taking control, I started feeling the urge to push. At this time, it was just bursts of pushing throughout the one contraction, not a constant push. My midwife noticed this, so she checked my progression and I was at an 8. What feels like just minutes later, my body was trying to push through the entire contraction. My midwife checked me again and I was complete and ready to push! Our baby boy made his appearance at 3:20 pm!

During labor, I found it most comfortable to keep my eyes closed to reserve energy. I began on my hands and knees then moved to side lying when I started tiring out, trying to conserve more energy for the pushing. I’ve already been asked by some about the pain level of an unmedicated birth. My answer to this is to not focus on the pain because it is temporary. There are so many more moments to focus on. Personally, I tried to focus on the moments of rest and my surroundings. I loved the moments where my midwife read my body language, I felt like she was in sync with me. I loved hearing words of affirmation from Danielle because it always brought me away from the worries in my head. I loved feeling my husband’s touch, because I felt like he was pushing through it all with me. And I loved being able to FEEL the progression of my baby moving lower and lower until he emerged because that was my body doing what it needed to do!

At the end of it all, I feel so much clearer minded than I did after my first baby’s c-section, and I do not hold on to any memories of pain. Instead, I hold on to the memories of allowing my mind and body to be vulnerable to change, my mind and body communicating with my baby, and to that force within me that pushed out my baby! It was overall such a magical experience!"

- Danielle
www.thebirthkeeperllc.com
Mid-Missouri Birth Photographer & Doula
Now Booking Fall 2025 Births

21/02/2025

Haha! I was in the right place at the right moment when I captured this. Dad’s face goes from “aww” to complete confusion. “Wait… is this… happening right now? Ahhhh!” as the baby blissfully goes to town on the closest thing resembling a ni**le.

-Danielle
www.thebirthkeeperllc.com
The Birthkeeper, LLC - Missouri Birth & Creative Services

13/02/2025

Documenting those baby days at home during a motherhood session is like capturing a mix of pure magic and a as they grow, it can get a little wild at times. Ha! Kind of like a tiny, adorable tornado that never stops moving and is so interested in the world around them. It’s the sweet moments, those first gummy smiles, the way their little hands wrap around your finger like it’s the most precious thing in the world. Taking pictures or writing about these moments is like hitting pause on time, so you can remember just how much your baby has changed and how much you've changed right alongside them.

There’s the soft, quiet bonding as they fall asleep while nursing on your chest. It’s an honest look at the tenderness and the total unpredictability of those early days, where love and exhaustion live hand in hand, and every giggle or coo feels like winning the lottery.

The journey of motherhood is pure magic and motherhood has a way of transforming you, pushing you to discover strengths you never knew you had and teaching you patience in ways you never thought possible. It stretches you, physically, emotionally, and mentally, forcing you to grow in ways that might feel overwhelming at first, but ultimately leave you more resilient, self-aware, and deeply connected to your own sense of purpose.

-Danielle
www.thebirthkeeperllc.com
The Birthkeeper, LLC - Missouri Birth & Creative Services

11/02/2025

There is something deeply beautiful about documenting a family during a newborn session within their home, especially when you’ve had the honor of supporting them throughout their pregnancy and birth as a doula. Witnessing their journey from the first moments of pregnancy to the intensity of labor, and then finally, to the serene moments of holding their newborn in their arms, is an extraordinary privilege. Capturing the tender love and connection that fills the room as the family transitions into parenthood is a powerful reminder of the strength, vulnerability, and beauty of the human experience. It’s a gift to be able to freeze those intimate moments in time, knowing that you were there to help provide guidance, comfort, and support, and now, seeing them embrace this new chapter of their lives with such joy and tenderness.

-Danielle
www.thebirthkeeperllc.com
Mid-Missouri Birth Photographer & Doula

05/02/2025

The months of December and January gave me the opportunity to document some incredible families. I had the privilege of working with mothers who were facing serious medical conditions, which led to early inductions and cesarean sections. These experiences made me reflect on how birth, while something we can plan and prepare for, is ultimately a journey that unfolds in its own unique way. Despite all the planning, pregnancy and childbirth can take unexpected turns, reminding us that even the most carefully laid plans can change in an instant. It’s a humbling reminder of the unpredictability of life and the resilience of the families navigating these challenges.

These sudden inductions or cesareans can bring a sense of urgency, a feeling that time is moving on its own, not according to the rhythm your body had intended. The natural process is altered, and with it, there may be a quiet grief for many for the birth that was envisioned but never came to pass. Yet, there is also courage, the bravery to surrender, to embrace the unfolding journey despite its new course.

The physicality of it can feel distant, as though you are disconnected from the process of your own body giving life. Yet, the moment the baby arrives, whether through a gentle push or a surgical incision, the overwhelming wave of love and gratitude is the same. It is a birth, no less sacred, no less profound.

-Danielle
www.thebirthkeeperllc.com