{Volunteer} Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep

With a bit of a media spotlight on Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep lately, the time is right to publish this blog post.

This is a very special post.

For several years, I've been a volunteer photographer for an organization called Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep. A volunteer is called when a family wishes to have photos taken shortly after the birth of a child who has either passed or will do so very soon. Sometimes a family knows months in advance their baby won't live long after birth. Other times, it's a matter of hours or days a family has this knowledge before their child is born.

The mission of NILMDTS is to provide families professional photos/portraits of their child.

These moments are very private and sacred, and it's an honor and privilege for a family to invite someone in at this time.

It is highly unusual for a family to consent for me to share these images on our blog (in a very public way), but one of the families I served this year has generously offered, and I am grateful for their courage. Mom says: "If our story, words and pictures will help, please use them. I have realized that part of our journey is to help people... the only way we can do that is by putting ourselves out there."

What a long intro! But I wanted to give some fair warning prior to sharing these photos. Since Mom is extremely articulate, I will let her share her experience in her own words.


"The photos are absolutely breathtaking. I cried (happy tears) for 30 minutes last Friday as I viewed them. You captured the day perfectly... the joy, the tears and the love we all felt. We, along with our family and friends, will cherish them forever.

"God worked in so many ways during this pregnancy. We believe He also had his hand in you being there and we knew you were meant to take them for us.

"Before you got there, I was looking at the dry erase board wanting someone to take a picture of it but I never asked. Then you walked over and took a picture of it. You then explained about your experience as a photojournalist. That picture combined with your explanation was when I knew you were meant to be there.


"The next time I remember you being in the room was after his birth during the baptism. Looking at the pictures and from what angles they were taken, you were everywhere without us noticing!


"Each picture tells a story. The way my doctor was holding my arm and I was holding my hand over his as we looked at {our son}. The look of love {my husband} and I shared right after delivery, knowing {our baby} was meant for us. My friend holding my hand, as well as her hand on my belly before delivery. The look of love on my Aunt's face as she soaked in {our baby}. The laughter we shared during labor. The tears we shared during and after his birth. The simultaneous hugs we received after his birth. The look of joy on my face when I realized he had a heartbeat as well as the tears I had just being able to finally hold my son. The proud look on {my oldest son's} face as he finally got to hold his brother.


"My friend and I sat up really late one night talking about his birth and what stuck out to us. What you don't realize, is that your photos documented our conversation. Memories will fade, but your photos will keep them alive."

NOTE FOR PARENTS: If you or a friend are going through the loss of an infant, we are sorry for your loss. Please feel free to pass along this forum link for Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep.

NOTE FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS: NILMDTS is always looking for generous and dedicated volunteers who would be willing to donate some time to assist families (babies are generally 25 weeks gestation or older). If you are interested or have questions, please feel free to comment or message me privately; I would be happy to share some experiences with you. In my rural Kansas area, I end up doing 3-4 sessions per year ... the time commitment is not overwhelming, so please reflect if this is a volunteering outlet you would be interested in.

Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep

In November, I headed out to Topeka for a training seminar for an amazing organization called Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep. If the name sounds familiar, it is probably because this non-profit has been receiving a lot of press over the last year.

In a nutshell, the organization provides complimentary portrait sessions to families who have a stillborn or who will pass shortly after birth. There is a powerful article about the organization and process in Newsweek this week. There is also a sidebar about how the organization started.

(FYI: For privacy reasons, it is unlikely that I will ever post a photo from one of these sessions on our blog).

The training session covered a lot of the paperwork and housekeeping items that is involved, but I was incredibly lucky to be in an actual hospital, so the nursing staff at Stormont-Vail talk about the babies and their families, and what a valuable memento the photos are to the family. The above photo is from our hands-on session. We worked with both studio and natural lighting (but you know we're suckers for awesome natural light!).

One valuable tool the organization provides is a forum for parents, family and friends who have lost an infant ... please feel free to pass along this forum link. Also, I know a number of photographers read our blog ... if you're interested in getting involved, please feel free to contact me. The organization is SUCH a worthy cause and is always looking for volunteers. There are upcoming training sessions, and I'd love to help connect you with one of those if you're interested.