He walked through the doors of my church that Sunday morning wearing a motorcycle jacket with helmet in hand. His presence was commanding, if only because of his height and not for any other reason.

Long story short...

Our friends ditched us one evening (because young single adults are flaky, not because they were setting us up). I showed up to that accidental date in workout clothes. I was smelly, sweaty, and slimy... and I walked away from that evening thinking that I should have maybe put in a little more effort. 

That first accidental date was on June 13, 2017. 

We tied the knot on November 25th of that SAME YEAR. 

If you're doing some quick mental math, that's about 6 months before we decided on forever. It's the decision I probably thought the least about, but arguably the most important (and best) decision I've made in my entire life.

We had two boys at the time and I launched Kristin Wieskamp Photography at the beginning of the year. 
I was deep into the throes of motherhood, and desperately wanted a creative outlet for myself. 
Cue launching my photography business. 
I thought I wanted to get into weddings, but after a while I got bored with that. 
I tried focusing on families, but that alone didn't really do it for me either. 
Then I attended my first birth - a beautiful, physiological home birth. And it lit my soul on fire in the best possible way.

When I sat down to write this, I asked myself: What would an expectant mom want to know about the person she’s inviting into her birth space?

If it were me, I’d want to know that she:

- Is a mom herself and truly gets what birth is like — not just from books, but from personal experience.
- Knows her way around the birth space, whether it’s at home, a birth center, or a hospital, and can be a steady, reassuring presence.
- Shares similar values and respects my wishes for a natural, peaceful, and faith-filled birth.
- Supports my choices 100%, no judgment, just encouragement.
- Brings a calm and comforting energy so I feel safe, heard, and empowered.
- Is someone I actually like being around, because let’s be real—the vibe in the birth space matters!
- Has knowledge and resources to help, whether it’s answering questions, offering encouragement, or just holding space.
- Sees birth as something natural, sacred, and deeply personal,. It's not merely a medical event!

Your birth is one of the most important moments of your life, and the people around you should uplift and support you in the best way possible. If this resonates with you, keep reading so you can learn more about me!

hi! i'm kristin. pull up a chair,
let's chat for a while.

For as long as I could remember, I wanted to be a mom. 
I wanted to marry a tall guy who was kinda nerdy but also liked sports (check). 
I wanted to be a mom and have a bunch of boys (check). 
I joked for forever that I would name them Aiden, Jaden, Caden, Braden, Hayden, etc. I didn't do that, but their names do all start with an A (that wasn't intentional until #3). 
I wanted to stay in Pittsburgh (check). 

God has answered so many of my prayers. One prayer in particular really sticks out to me. While I was still single and dating around in my college/young adult years, I prayed before each date that God would either (a) end it quickly, or (b) make it really clear that he was going to be my husband. And oh man did he ever answer that prayer. 

It's been a journey.

Our relationship was (and still is) a whirlwind adventure.

Fast forward to 2021.

Birth photography was the gateway drug into the birth space.

I needed more. Because let's be honest... is there anything more raw or beautiful or miraculous than another human being entering the world? God designed it so beautifully and I knew right there and then that this is what I wanted. 

It's been a little over two years since that first birth, and since then I've had the privilege of witnessing several more babies entering the world. And once I witnessed some pretty incompetent staff at a local hospital (*cough* Forbes *cough*), I knew I needed to do more. 

I felt so helpless. I knew what was happening and I didn't feel like I was in the right position to be able to speak up. That baby arrived quickly and safely, but let's just say - I hope I never have birth in a hospital again. 

I was such a... normal? silky? idk what word I would use here. 
I trusted doctors and hospitals. I thought they knew what they were doing.
I don't want to knock them too hard. They've saved women and babies from very real, life-threatening situations.

BUT. 

For most women with uncomplicated, low-risk pregnancies, giving birth with a midwife in attendance is going to be a far better and far safer option. 

I never believed this until I had a baby with the midwives at The Midwife Center in the Strip District. 
I was scared of birth. 
Scared of the pain. 
Scared of the intensity. 
Scared of feeling it. 

And yes, it was intense. And there were moments of pain. but they all led me to a beautiful water birth with my beautiful son. 

That experience made me wish that all of my births were like that. 
And afterwards, I felt like I could do ANYTHING. Especially since that kid was 9lbs 10oz. RIP to my pelvic floor (jk it's fine).

I really believe that there are few things, if any, in this world that are more empowering than a natural, physiological birth.

I know what birth can be because I've experienced it.