As you await your estimated due date, you may have spent time gazing at birth photos online. The beautiful photographs usually depict an emotional moment, and the very beginning of a new family’s life. That moment when you hold your baby for the first time can feel almost like an out of body experience, and a photograph can be a wonderful way to remind you of how you felt gazing into your newborn’s eyes for the first time.

The decision to hire a birth photographer is a personal one, and one that you must make as a couple. While some women may love the idea of freezing that moment for all eternity, others will hate the idea of their exhausted state being captured on film. Here are some things to consider when deciding whether to hire a birth photographer:

1. Too many cooks – a birth photographer will be another person in the room. Delivery rooms can soon feel overcrowded, and you may find yourself wishing things were a little less chaotic on the day. If it’s just going to be you and your birth partner, however, you may feel a little extra company would be welcomed.

2. A natural in front of the camera – do you love having your photograph taken, or hide awkwardly at the back of family photos? If you’re self conscious and hate having your photograph taken, birth photography might leave you feeling nervous on the day. You’ll have enough to focus on during labour without also worrying about which bits of your body are going to end up photographed.

3. A picture is worth a thousand words – you will never forget the moment you meet your baby for the first time, but a photograph will help you to relive it. It is one of the most overwhelming moments of your life, and a photograph will capture the emotions behind that first cuddle, and help remind you of what an amazing thing you did.

4. Hospital policy – if you’re giving birth in a hospital, you might need to check whether they have policies in place. Some may limit the number of people allowed in the delivery room, meaning your birth photographer is pushed out at the vital moment. Most hospitals will allow birth photographers in, but it’s worth checking in advance so you don’t end up disappointed.

5. The finances – birth photographers aren’t cheap. Your photographer will be on call for weeks, waiting to receive the call that they are needed at the hospital, and will expect to be compensated for this commitment. Birth photography can be expensive, so you’ll need to budget for this in advance.

6. You’ll still have your birth partner – if you don’t have a professional on hand, you’ll be relying on your birth partner to take the photograph. Not only does this mean he’ll be out of action as your birth partner, but he may feel he missed that vital moment of the birth because he was distracted by the camera. Your first cuddle with your newborn, is also your partner’s first time to see his new family.

7. You’ll end up with better photos – unless your partner is a professional photographer himself, you will get better photos from a professional. A professional photographer will have more of an idea about lighting, angles and editing, so you are likely to end up with better photographs.

Are you hiring a birth photographer to capture your birth?

Written by Fiona, proud owner of a toddler, @fiona_peacock

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general information basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice. All contents copyright © Health & Parenting Ltd 2018. All rights reserved.

We live in technological world. Today, it is nearly impossible to take a trip to the store without the viable concern that you may be videotaped by some stranger with a smartphone. We take more pictures and videos today than any other generation has. Ever. And this ease of technology that makes it simple to capture life’s moments one by one, and post them online for friends and family to see within minutes, has definitely made its appearance in the delivery room.

Most women log their pregnancy through pictures that show the beautiful and sometimes subtle transitions of the female body. It is also becoming increasingly popular for to-be parents to hire fancy birth photographers to show up during labor and delivery to document birth from beginning to end.  (Of course, all the photography will be edited with soft filters afterwards so no one sees your wincing and “ugly birth face.” But is it birth photography for you?

Today, there is a whole new breed of birth photographers who require hefty deposits, and who are willing to trek into the delivery room with you to record your experiences there for all posterity. They will catch every sound, every beautiful movement of your body, every expression of your loved ones as they wait for their lives to change with the birth of your baby. And then, they will edit these moments providing you with a beautiful keepsake. One of the nice results, is that often life is moving so fast while you are giving birth that YOU miss out on many things that are going on. The expression on your partner’s face. Hearing the first sound of your baby. Watching them get their first bath that will make them smell so shiny and new. The cutting of the umbilical cord. If you want to be able to see these things, then you should consider labor and delivery birth photography.

Or, you can be more traditional and have some family members snap a few shots, and hope that your memory of the day will suffice for the rest of your life. For some people, having strangers and extras in the delivery room is not something they want. After all, you never know how it is going to go, and having your legs up in stirrups while your baby crowns doesn’t always make for the perfect wall art for the family room.

Truth is, only you can decide what is right for you.  If you want to go the full route and hire a birth photographer, you need to start planning before your third trimester. These folks live off a beeper, and can only be in one place at one time. If you want to preserve memories with pictures and videos, but prefer a more private setting – then ask a loved one or a good friend (a very good friend) to handle the pictures and videography for you.

One thing that I, as an experienced mother, would advise is to bring some make-up and hair accessories to the hospital, along with an attractive shirt so that you can get some stunning shots of you and your baby in the hours and days that follow your first physical meeting. These will definitely be pictures and moments that you will treasure for the rest of your life. And, you only have one chance to make this happen.

Written By Stef, Mom of 4 @Momspirational

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general information basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice. All contents copyright © Health & Parenting Ltd 2017. All rights reserved.