We had the good fortune of connecting with The Birth Story Collective, Brittany Knapik, Claire Mandrycky & Chanda Williams and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi The Birth Story Collective,, other than deciding to work for yourself, what else do you think played a pivotal role in your story?
After years of working as individuals, the three of us came together to create The Birth Story Collective. We recognized the importance of community in birth work, and knew that in order to make the work sustainable we needed to come together. We made the choice to value community over competition. The support and encouragement that is built into the Collective has been a game changer. Working together has allowed for a healthy work life balance, as we share birth clients, and therefore the time we spend “on-call” awaiting their labor. Coming together also provided us with a built in community to share our own experiences with. Attending births can be trying and birth workers need to be able to confide in people who ‘get it’. We are very lucky to be able to do that with each other.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Birth photography has come a long way in recent years. We have gone from people thinking we misspoke and must have meant “bird” photography to having international birth photo competitions recognized and highlighted in mainstream media. Those changes have allowed us to have a voice with our art. It’s not just about documenting stories for families, which we LOVE doing, it’s also about giving a voice to just how important birth is and what it can look like. We are so proud that our photos have helped women see just how strong they are, what their bodies are capable of, have created memories that will be cherished for generations, and have even helped some heal from traumatic experiences. The way a person is made to feel when giving birth is important, regardless of how they birth, it matters, and if we can spread that message while giving families beautiful photos to treasure forever we will have served an amazing purpose.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We are obviously still in the midst of our “hunkering down because of the pandemic” phase but here’s a list of some of the places we’ve been missing and can’t wait to safely get back to soon, fingers crossed! Poor Hendrix – One of our favorite local restaurants. They are open for patio dining now which is great. Fabulous cocktails (mocktails too for our expectant mamas!) and their grilled cheese is stupid good. Other favorite local restaurants to visit would be Gun Show, Wahoo, Fox Brother’s BBQ, Steinbecks, Lazy Betty, Homegrown, Ria’s Bluebird, Dish Dive and Kimball House. That should cover us for a week! Indigo Wellness – A locally run and owned spa in downtown Kirkwood would definitely make an appearance. Facials, massages, mani/pedi, the works…and if we’re being honest a brow wax too because, you know, 2020. Mercedes Benz Stadium for an Atlanta United game. Rowdy & Proud y’all! Round Trip Brewing Company – There are so many great local breweries to hang out at and this one is definitely a favorite. Perfect for safely getting together while still social distancing. LIPS Atlanta – Their Dragalicious Sunday Brunch is on point. Delicious food and the most amazing queens in all of Atlanta! Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
The biggest shoutout goes to our families–their support and flexibility with our crazy birth schedules has been crucial to our success! We are also very lucky that the birth community in Atlanta is pretty incredible. Birthing from Within Atlanta, the Atlanta Birth Center, midwives and obstetricians who truly understand how important birth is, all of these organizations and people allow us to do the work that we do by creating safe places for Atlantans to give birth. The stories we are able to tell would look very different if it weren’t for the work they have done and continue to do.

Website: www.thebirthstorycollective.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/thebirthstorycollective

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutAtlana is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.