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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

Photos during labour? Surely that's not normal!

29 replies

HomeIsWhereTheHeartIs · 18/09/2013 16:05

I'm watching BBCs Midwives programme. The lady is pushing, nearly there; baby's head is out. I'm cringing just watching. Then suddenly her partner jumps in with his mobile phone and takes a photo... ?!?!?!? Why? It just seems so inappropriate/gross.
Or is it just me? Is it capturing the natural beauty of childbirth?

OP posts:

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SmallBee · 18/09/2013 16:30

I couldn't care less about capturing the natural beauty of childbirth, if my Husband tries that crap the phone is going to be throw right out the hospital (3rd story) window.

onlysettleforbutterflies · 18/09/2013 16:32

I thought that too op and wondered what he did with it -fFacebook, family album, framed...

PinkApple86 · 18/09/2013 19:48

I thought that too at the time but thinking about it I would maybe like to see my child being born as everybody else can see except the mother. I'm due tomorrow so ask me in a few weeks and I might have changed my mind. Defo wouldn't show anyone else though it would be one for the personal collection

hettienne · 18/09/2013 19:52

I thought it was one of her sisters that took the photo!

Tbf, there was already a film crew at the business end so a blackberry didn't make much difference.

MoreThanWords · 18/09/2013 19:54

I'm sure I've seen adverts/articles on professional birth photographers!

ShowOfHands · 18/09/2013 19:59

My friend gave birth, naturally, to twins and her dp was a photographer and documented the whole thing. The pictures are actually beautiful and they share them with very few people. They're not displayed artfully on the coffee table or blown up and stretched across an enormous canvas in the kitchen.

Fair enough if you don't want to do it, but I can see why you would. I might have considered it but hours into labour, I wouldn't have cared if a brass band had set up camp down there and had their annual publicity shots taken.

VinegarDrinker · 18/09/2013 20:02

My MiL has (several times) proudly shown me the photos of DH's head crowning. Yes, really.

PrincessRomy · 18/09/2013 20:02

I wish I could have seen what it looked like when ds's head was coming out - I asked dh to describe it but it's not the same.

However, if he'd have been looking at it through the 'lens' of the camera phone instead of in rl it wouldn't have been the same experience for him imo.

VinegarDrinker · 18/09/2013 20:04

I crapped myself when DD was born (as a very large % of people do). No thanks to that being caught on camera. DS was forceps with an episiotomy - again, not exactly prime photograph material.

GiraffesAndButterflies · 18/09/2013 20:07

You guys may enjoy the Ben Elton book Blind Faith...

CreatureRetorts · 18/09/2013 20:12

Vinegar you've see your MIL's stretched fanjo?!!!

My MW took photos during labour with ds. I shuddered when I saw them and have deleted them. I want to remember labour as it was in my head, not highlighted witha bright camera flash.

Merrylegs · 18/09/2013 20:16

It was filmed though so why did he need photos? The first thing that baby was greeted with was a blinding flash in its face. What a welcome to the world.

VinegarDrinker · 18/09/2013 20:35

Yes, Creature. I wish I could delete the images from my brain!

mayhew · 19/09/2013 08:13

I once watched a dad film the birth on his phone. They both watched the replay while i delivered the placenta. Must be the modern world.

SupermansBigRedPants · 19/09/2013 08:40

When I had dd2 the other week the gas and air was so good I couldn't have gave a flying monkey fig qho or what was going on around me but I think if afterwards someone had gone 'and here are the images to scar you for life of your foofy birthing' I'd have freaked out I've no reason to want to see all that business prude

cantreachmytoes · 19/09/2013 08:52

I have a good friend who took photos of their baby coming out. He then put one on Facebook without his wife's nether regions in view, but baby was JUST out, picture feet first and legs apart.

I bet she's going to appreciate that when some kid at school trawls the Internet and finds it...

Mouserama · 19/09/2013 10:48

My DH took photos of DD being born by C Section. I was flicking through the photos afterwards, and lo and behold, there is my body, wide open cavity and what I swear are intestines poking out. I was shocked at first, but now I find it quite fascinating! (Lets face it, I'm never going to get the opportunity to see the inside of my body again) And no, it hasn't been shown to anyone else, and nor will it!

VisualiseAHorse · 19/09/2013 11:01

Not for me thanks! I like the straight after birth ones, with mum holding a baby to her chest triumphantly, but not a fanny pic.

I'm tempted to ask for a mirror next time though, so I can see for myself!

elliejjtiny · 20/09/2013 02:48

I've got loads of photos of my C-section. I wanted one of them framed and on the wall (it's of the surgeon with one hand supporting DS4's head and the other hand in my guts and she's got a big grin on her face) but DH was horrified when I suggested it.

Amibambini · 20/09/2013 09:54

A few years back I was a birth partner for a friend, along with her dp. As I'm a photographer by trade, and not squeamish, she asked me to document the whole process, from the waiting around, through to the crowning (artfully cropping out the little turtle head that was also being pushed out!), and the beautiful moments of first skin on skin. It's a lovely series of very personal photos for her and her partner. No flash. A really wonderful experience for me too, seeing my friends baby born, totally blew my mind!

It's probably not everyone's cup of tea, but each to their own huh?

Charlottehere · 20/09/2013 09:56

Well she's already being filmed

Shellywelly1973 · 21/09/2013 16:59

I dont get it to be honest. After my last baby there isn't even 1 photograph of me or Dp, me & baby...just the baby. I just hate looking at myself in a picture!

PinkPepper · 21/09/2013 17:15

I wish I had photos of me in the pool. I don't know why I wouldn't share them with anyone. I think my partner thought it'd be inappropriate so didn't but I've asked him to take some if there's a next time.

Irishfairy · 21/09/2013 17:44

I get it, I have no pictures of dd's birth and it was in hospital and fairly medical. I would still have liked some pics to look at as my memory is fairly fuzzy. This time I'm planning a home birth and my friend who is a semi professional photographer will hopefully be there and get some pics. I've seen plenty of beautiful, tasteful birth photos and I'd like to have some to remember the event, depending on the pic and how much it shows I will then decide who and how I share it.
I think some of the biggest days of your life are your wedding day and the days your children are born, so I don't see what is wrong with documenting the birth days as well as the other big days in your lifetime if you should so choose.

Mamabear12 · 22/09/2013 21:01

My mom took photos during my labour and delivery. Before I had the epidural, I was like STOP taking photos! After epidural, I was fine for her to take the pics. I enjoyed looking at them later on, as I couldnt see what was going on during the actually birth and later on was curious. A little scary looking, but def would not delete them! In fact, I ended up showing a few of my close girlfriends and going over my labour story, im the first of the group to have a baby :)

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