What's In My Hospital Bag? | Personal

Have you packed your hospital bag? Not to worry. With my first, I was way more prepared than this time around! I packed a few things here and there this time. Set things aside, but guess what I am pretty sure I packed the day before! Thankfully I already had my list put together to help me!

Mama for L&D:

For Labor & Delivery, mama’s you just need a few key things. Depending on what you want during delivery an essential oils blend, portable radio to play music if this is something that is important to you, your phone with an extra long phone charger, a camera if you want to take your own pictures on something other than your phone. And a few key things I always put in a small bag: lip gloss or chapstick, hair tie, hand lotion, a book or journal. I keep this bag next to the bed for easy access along with my phone and a camera.

Mama in Postpartum:

This is where you will have your husband bring up all the things. Your bag is most important for postpartum, unless you are being induced and have to arrive the night before. You can find a link below to a free checklist I have made with all the things for Mama and baby. Some of my key essentials would be comfy pajamas, a robe, house shoes or grippy socks, makeup, going home outfit, things to shower…you get the point! I mean there is nothing like your first shower post baby! I loved to have a fresh smelling body wash or soap.

Baby:

I have always utilized the shirt and swaddles our hospital provided for babies. I felt these were easiest for quick changes plus the hospital will clean them or dispose of them, and give you fresh ones if something were to occur. I make sure to have a going home outfit and hat, potentially a blanket to cover them with in the carseat going home. I have taken mittens in the past, but never used them while in the hospital.

Extras:

A few things I found nice to have for both myself and baby during postpartum at the hospital were a portable sound machine, small night light, and extra snacks to have on hand. Most hospitals provide snacks, but it’s always nice to have a few extras just in case. Those middle of the night feedings are a must to have water and something to eat!

Want a quick guide to packing for your delivery? Snag my free packing list here.

Motherhood. The Why behind my business | Personal

I took a big leap in November of 2020, to go full time with photography and take a step away from the corporate world. One of my goals when doing this was to have more time to be mama to our two boys. Though launching a full time photography business is a big task in and of itself, I took 2021 to settle in as a full time photographer. I launched my Heirloom Portraits and worked to adjust my weekly and monthly schedule to see what worked best for our family.

As I began dreaming of 2022 and what aspects of my business worked in 2021, one of my biggest goals was to take more time for our family and be intentional with our boys during the week. As we enter April, my hope is to focus on our boys on Monday and Friday when they are home, and spend Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday on business specific tasks.

Our oldest begins Kindergarten in the Fall (cue all the mama tears) and I want to be present, make memories and be the mama I need to be. I mean I dreamed of the days I could do photography full time and be at home to chase these two little guys. Now is the time for me to cherish these days at home crazy as they can be, they don’t last long.

I may be slower to respond, but my hope is to focus on my clients and my business on the days the boys are in Mother’s Day Out. Scheduling will be a little more limited, and I will only be shooting one (maybe two) weekends a month. I will be scheduling sessions two days during the week, and have set business hours for emails, editing and all the behind the scenes things. Much of this is already in place, so you may not see much change from the outside.

If you are interested in booking a session, please reach out to me early to make sure your date is available, especially if you are hoping for a weekend option! You can contact me here for booking information.

Thank you for your patience as I work to balance this business and being mama!

Sabrina Gebhardt Photography | Fort Worth, TX Photographer and Educator

As a photographer and really in any profession, education is an important piece of expanding your creative knowledge and brand. Education allows you to grow, evolve, meet other creatives and maneuver through this crazy world of entrepreneurship.

I stumbled upon Sabrina Gebhardt Photography early on in my career and followed her on social media. In 2017 I reached out to do a mentor session with her. Sabrina has built a lifestyle photography business based on capturing real, authentic moments and the chaos that comes with raising littles. As a mama and business owner, this resonated with me. Even early on before I had my first little one.

Over the course of the past few years I have done mentor sessions, a mastermind and participated in her course The Organized Photographer. Sabrina has inspired me, helped me navigate the details of being a business owner, mama and working full time in the corporate world. She has set up The Organized Photographer course in a way that whether you are just starting out or you have been in business for many years, there is something to learn and apply to your photography business.

Sabrina has laid out the steps for you to get organized and take your life back. As a mom to two little boys and a full-time photographer (as of November 2021), she has helped me build a sustainable schedule for myself, learn to say “no”, and create “white space” each week. When I joined The Organized Photographer, I was not only looking for an educational course to push me to the next level, but also create a community of other photographers. Through this course I have made some of my best friend industry friends, connected with local photographer friends, and been encouraged by each of them in so many ways!

The level of knowledge I have gained, the encouragement I have received and the resources that have launched my business are all due to Sabrina’s courses, mentorship and support. Sabrina, I can’t thank you enough for answering the millions of questions and being a cheerleader as I took a huge leap of faith to take my business full time 1 year ago!

Are you looking for an educational course to help you take your control of your life, get organized and take your business to the next level in 2022? If so, I cannot recommend Sabrina’s educational courses more!

If you have questions or want to reach out for more information from a former student, please feel free to contact me! I’d love to give you more information on how Sabrina has helped my business grow!

You can find Sabrina on Instagram or hop over to her website. Interested in her course? Join the waitlist for The Organized Photographer and be the first to know when it opens!