Kristin is a photographer who specializes in newborn, ʙɪʀᴛʜ, and ᴍᴀᴛᴇʀɴɪᴛʏ photography. She considers herself fortunate to have been present during the unique ʙɪʀᴛʜ session of Brooke Ellington, which was made even more special by the presence of a corgi named Ranger as Brooke’s doula. This was not the first time that Kristin had photographed Brooke during the process of ʟᴀʙᴏʀ and ɢɪᴠɪɴɢ ʙɪʀᴛʜ, and Brooke’s family holds a special place in her ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ. Ranger lives with his mama Brooke Ellington in Midland, Texas. Brooke, who has two sons, hired Kristin Waner of Kristin Ann Photo to capture images of her ʟᴀʙᴏʀ and ᴅᴇʟɪᴠᴇʀʏ for her third child. Two years ago, Waner had also taken photos of the ʙɪʀᴛʜ of Ellington’s son Boyd, when a different ᴘᴏᴜᴄʜ was part of the pack.
Some images from the session:
During the birth of Berkeley, Ranger the Corgi took on the role of Brooke’s doula, just like Ryder, Brooke’s Corgi, had done during the birth of her first child, Boyd. It seems there’s something special about the corgi breed when it comes to assisting their owners during the process of ʙɪʀᴛʜ. Just take a look at this Very Good Boy, Ranger, quietly resting his head on Ellington’s pillow as she goes through ʟᴀʙᴏʀ.
Some more images from the session:
Throughout the challenging moments, Kristin closely observed Ranger being by his mom’s side, providing comfort during ʟᴀʙᴏʀ and ʙɪʀᴛʜ ᴘᴀɪɴs. Just like Ryder, Ranger showed his love and care by allowing Brooke to hug and kiss him, offering a calming presence whenever she experienced ᴄᴏɴᴛʀᴀᴄᴛɪᴏɴs. From the bed to the ʙɪʀᴛʜing ᴛᴜʙ, and finally being able to meet his human sister, Ranger made sure to support the family as a good boy. Waner shared that Ranger was very caring and loving towards Brooke throughout the day. She explained, “When we moved to the ʙɪʀᴛʜing ᴛᴜʙ, Brooke progressed so fast. There were moments of laughter and moments of ᴘᴀɪɴ as we watched her overcome each ᴄᴏɴᴛʀᴀᴄᴛɪᴏɴ.”
Some images from the session:
Luckily, Kristin took as many pictures as she could to capture this wonderful once-in-a-lifetime experience. Now, we can all catch a glimpse of what it’s like to have a Corgi as a doula. Waner added, “He did not leave her side at all during the ʙɪʀᴛʜ process. He was an amazing doula. It was a beautiful thing to watch — the bond between mom and baby and man’s best friend.” Given her love for dogs, capturing numerous photos was a breeze for Waner. Unsurprisingly, the pictures of Ranger assisting his human during ʟᴀʙᴏʀ have already gained significant popularity on social media platforms.
Some images from the session:
Kristin’s first experience with a doula dog was with Ryder, her first Corgi. Ryder accompanied Brooke during the ʙɪʀᴛʜ of her second baby, Boyd, providing comfort as a furry companion to alleviate her mom’s ᴘᴀɪɴ. Kristin mentioned, “We did not expect it to become this big, but we are delighted that it has sparked conversations among expecting moms. ʙɪʀᴛʜ is a beautiful thing, and we love how everyone is enjoying the heartwarming story of sweet Berkeley and Ranger.”
Some images from the session:
