There alots of you my lovelies in the midst of having babies. Yummy yummy babies. So it got me wondering would you photograph your labour? I had a girlfriend do it for her birth and when B1 was born we did the odd happy snap of our own but it seems hiring a photographer to be there from start to finish is becoming increasingly popular. Some even specialise in birth photography. Well its popular in the United States it is so its only a matter of time I guess until its here.
Originally I thought no way hozay. That’s just to invasive. I thought blood, mucus, too many bodily fluid to think about. Yuck. As it was I tried to keep as much decorum in my labour as possible. I refused to moan, scream or cry…crazy because I think that restriction on myself made the pain more intense. Instead I winced, breathed and squeezed the crap out my husband hand trying to transfer the pain.
So too allow someone to photograph my contorted face as I huffed and puffed through a contraction ah no. No way. Its a mix of vanity and the fact that my labouring style was the least amount of people present the better I handled things. But I have come across some very beautiful images and well its a really nice way to document an arrival. There is not a sign of bodily fluid anywhere and the contorted faces well its beautiful when you see the image for what it is.
So what do you think wold you have a ‘photograher’ photograph your labour?
xx Deb
Hi Louise, thanks for leaving a comment I love them…it really is a lovely shot isnt it. I think its rather brave of her to allow herself to be photograhed like that..I know I wouldnt be able to…thanks again louise hope you stop by again I just love hearing from everyone xxDeb
I thought the photo was amazing. It really captured the effort she was making as well as the involement of her partner. Then the next photo just cinched it.
Miss B,
You know I still cant get over that you have five babies and do FIFO. FIVE. Amazing. Are you going for number six? And your right they could be beautiful even if it had all gone horribly wrong and I feel so much for that women who lost her babies and what a beautiful idea. I hope one day she will be able to look at them. xx Deb
If I could afford it, and we were going again for number 6 I would do it over and over again. If i could rewind time, i would do it every time. 😀
I always was jealous of friends who had c sections and ended up with the awesome photos of bubs being pulled out. LOVE them! A friend recently home birthed and had (not professional ) photos taken, they were stunning.
I think even if things went wrong, the photos *could* be beautiful, especially if the worst (heaven forbid it! ) happened. It would probably take a lot longer before you were ready to look at those photos. I know of a lady whose babies died and she ended up getting a hysterectomy at the same time because of hemorraging while she was unconscious they placed her twins on her chest and took photos, and separate ones of the babies, she said (at the time, 12 months later) she still hadn’t been courageous enough to look at the photos, but she was glad she had them.
Hi Michell..how have you been? Yes those first cuddles are the yummiest and ones I dont think we will ever forget..xxDeb
Hi, I think these photos are beautiful and the complete joy and relief on Mums face in the second picture made me remember how special those first cuddles are. While I do have some pics of me having contractions during my first labour I couldn’t handle someone taking happy snaps while the main event was happening , that is too personal.
Hi Bronnie, thanks for taking the time to pop on over I found you today…happy joy..and will keep reading!!…t..these images where actually part of the national geographic competion series and they won in 2011 but Im with you I dont think I would make them public my eyes only..xxDeb
That first photo scared the bajeeeezus out of me!!!!!!
But the second one, and the happiness and relief on her face = beautiful.
I really don’t know whether I would or not, I think I’ll have to wait until I’m pregnant to see. And if I did get them taken, they’d be for mine and my family’s eyes only.
Hey Kez thanks for the comment..typically I never thought about it in that view that something may go wrong which is surprising given my crazy labour with my B1..I guess we all live in the blase world that child birth is now longer the killer it use to be when in reality its just as dangerous as it ever was its just that we are now so more prepared that child birth is now considered as simple as a tooth extraction. Hmmm….Hope that you and your baby recovered well though..xxD
NO WAY! Also, the birth does not always go to plan. If I had hired a photographer I would now have a horrific documentation of how a birth DOESN’T go well, ending in my baby being shipped off to a different hospital for three days while I stayed where I was tethered to a bed! That pressure to remember it all a certain way or for it to have gone perfectly would have done my head in! I would find those photos painful to look at because of what I went through, rather than for vanity reasons.