Boulder Newborn Photography That Honors Every Feeding Journey—Including SNS Support
Celebrating Every New Parent’s Path in Boulder, CO
Becoming a parent is one of life’s most transformative experiences: thrilling, tender, and sometimes overwhelming. As a photographer and postpartum doula based in Boulder, Colorado, I am continually inspired by the courage and creativity that families bring to these early weeks. Whether through my camera lens or during the quiet hours of postpartum care, I love helping families feel seen, supported, and celebrated exactly as they are.
Recently, I had the honor of photographing a creative couple using a Supplemental Nursing System (SNS) to support their baby’s feeding due to low milk supply. Their loving dog joined in for parts of the session, adding warmth and playfulness to the morning. What began as a simple photo shoot became much more: a reflection of love, adaptability, and resilience.
In this post, I’ll share their story (with permission), explore how photography can help normalize the realities of breastfeeding, and show how postpartum doula care and photography can work hand in hand to honor every parent’s journey, especially for families here in Boulder, CO.
The Session: Tender, Real, and Rooted in Love
The couple invited me into their light-filled home near Boulder’s foothills—a space filled with art, warmth, and the gentle rhythm of new parenthood. Burp cloths rested on counters beside mugs of cold coffee, while sunlight poured through windows dotted with houseplants.
They are creative souls who wanted their session to feel true. Beforehand, they spoke openly about their experience with low milk supply and their decision to use an SNS feeding system. They wanted to remember their real story—the learning curve, the vulnerability, and the deep devotion that carried them through.
Part of our session unfolded in their backyard garden, where calendula bloomed in golden abundance. The vibrant petals became a visual thread throughout the session, representing both healing and joy. Calendula is a beloved ally for postpartum and newborn care, often used in soothing balms and gentle teas. Its skin-nourishing and anti-inflammatory properties support tissue repair and comfort—a natural reflection of the tenderness of new parenthood. Including the flowers in their photos felt right, a reminder of the connection between nature, care, and family life.
Their dog, a loyal companion, padded gently in and out of the frame, sometimes resting near the baby’s blanket or looking up with patient affection. Her presence brought levity and completeness, a reminder that love often shows up with wagging tails and watchful eyes.
Throughout the morning, I focused on connection—the small gestures that reveal love in motion. The partner preparing the bottle, a quiet smile exchanged mid-feed, the mother’s calm focus as she adjusted the thin tube along her baby’s cheek. We took our time. Feeds are not linear, and neither is healing or bonding. There were pauses for burping, for laughter, for tears. Each pause held meaning.
What Is a Supplemental Nursing System (SNS)?
A Supplemental Nursing System (SNS) is a thin tube that allows a baby to receive additional milk—pumped, donor, or formula—while nursing at the breast. It supports bonding, encourages milk production, and can be a lifeline for families navigating low supply.
It can also feel intimidating at first. Tubes slip, milk drips, and patience is required. But for many families, it represents love in action: a creative and nurturing way to feed a baby while maintaining closeness.
That is one reason I feel so passionate about photographing real feeding stories. Too often, public images of breastfeeding leave out the tools, adaptations, and emotional realities that make each family’s journey unique. Including the SNS in photos, rather than hiding it, helps normalize diverse feeding experiences and reminds parents that there is no single “right” way to nourish a baby.
Photography as Witness
During the session, I photographed the couple with sensitivity and care. We began with soft natural light filtering through gauzy curtains. The mother prepared the SNS, threading the tube and filling the bottle with milk. The father was near offering quiet encouragement.
When their baby latched, I captured the intimacy of the moment—hands, eyes, breath, and milk. There were moments of stillness and of movement, the gentle shifting that every parent knows. I moved quietly through the room, letting emotion unfold naturally.
At one point, the mother whispered, “It’s not easy, but it’s beautiful in its own way” That moment stayed with me. These photographs became a visual love letter to their effort—a testament to how love adapts.
The Power of Seeing Your Own Story
When I delivered the gallery, the couple told me the images made them cry—in a good way. “I didn’t realize how beautiful it looked from the outside,” the mother said. “It helped me see the love instead of the struggle.”
That is the quiet magic of postpartum photography. It helps parents reframe their experience, finding beauty in imperfection and tenderness in effort.
Every family’s journey is different. Some nurse with ease, some pump or supplement, some bottle-feed. Some seek postpartum overnight doula care for rest and recovery, while others find grounding in art, herbal care, or community. In every case, there is love. And that is what I want my photos—and my care—to honor.
Why Normalize Breastfeeding Challenges
Many families experience low milk flow, latch issues, or the need to supplement, yet feel hesitant to talk about it. There is a cultural myth that breastfeeding should be easy and effortless. When it isn’t, parents often feel guilt or shame.
In my work supporting families across Boulder, Lafayette, and Longmont, I have seen how normalizing these challenges can foster healing. Whether through imagery, gentle conversation, or postpartum care, acknowledgment itself is powerful.
An SNS is not a sign of failure. It represents creativity, devotion, and perseverance. When we photograph and share these real moments openly, we remind others that every feeding journey is sacred.
Blending Photography and Postpartum Doula Care
While I was the photographer for this session, my background as a postpartum doula and clinical herbalist deeply informs how I photograph families. I understand the emotional and physical terrain of early parenthood—the exhaustion, the hormonal waves, and the quiet triumphs that arise in small, everyday gestures.
This understanding helps me approach each session with empathy and calm. I know when to step back, when to check in, and how to create a sense of safety and ease in front of the camera.
Many families choose to combine newborn photography with postpartum doula support. The overlap between care and art creates a sense of continuity and trust. Having a familiar presence—someone who can both soothe your baby at night and help tell your story by day—makes the experience feel grounding and real.
For those seeking postpartum overnight doula care in Boulder, CO, I offer packages that combine rest and remembrance: overnight support for healing, paired with a gentle, heart-centered photo session when your family feels ready.
Celebrating All Paths to Nourishment
Every parent’s journey to feed their baby is unique. For some, milk flows easily. For others, it takes persistence and creativity. All paths are rooted in love.
Photography can play a quiet yet powerful role in healing postpartum stories. It helps parents see themselves as they truly are: capable, devoted, and enough.
When we celebrate diverse feeding journeys—with or without tubes, bottles, or pumps—we create more space for grace and compassion.
If you are a parent in Boulder, Louisville, Lafayette, Longmont, Lyons, or Denver, know this: your story deserves to be honored. Whether through photography, postpartum care, or both, there are gentle ways to document and support your transition into this new chapter.
Closing Reflections
That morning with the creative couple reminded me why I do this work. Parenthood is art—sometimes messy, often imperfect, always beautiful.
The SNS tubing, the spilled milk, the laughter, the loyal dog curled nearby, and the calendula blooming just outside the window—all of it was part of their love story.
Through my photography and postpartum doula care in Boulder, I aim to hold space for these real, sacred moments: the ones that show how love adapts, heals, and endures.
Wherever you are in your journey, whether nursing, supplementing, or bottle-feeding, may you feel seen, supported, and celebrated. And may your story, like theirs, remind you that beauty often lives right alongside the mess.
About Sara Marie
Sara Marie is a Boulder-based photographer, postpartum doula, and clinical herbalist dedicated to honoring the tender beauty of early parenthood. Her work blends art and care, offering heartfelt newborn photography and postpartum support that help families feel grounded, nurtured, and seen.
Explore Sara’s offerings:
Newborn and Family Photography in Boulder →
Postpartum Overnight Doula Support →
Herbal Offerings and Plant-Based Care →
Handmade Pottery→