The Beauty in Birth

Did you know how beautiful a mother is when giving birth? I once read a quote by Ina May Gaskin, that I kept thinking of yesterday:

“If a woman doesn’t look like a goddess during labor, then someone isn’t treating her right.”

Marisa had a scheduled induced labor, an epidural and it was in a hospital. Not really the kind of birth people often think to photograph and in all honesty it was the first induced birth for me as well. However, Marisa not only had one photographer there – she had two. She surrounded herself with a doctor she adored and trusted, a breastfeeding consultant that had worked with her in her last pregnancy and two nurses that were nothing short of phenomenal at their job. Lastly but most importantly, she was supported by her husband – her best friend and her partner in all of this. She looked like a goddess because she had a team around her of love, trust and support. She looked like a goddess because she had the birth she wanted and zero shame in it.

We all know there are many ways to go about parenting, how to discipline and how to even feed our kids. There is mom-shaming all over the place and it doesn’t exclude birth. Something so beautiful, so powerful and so different – there is no right way or wrong way to bring a child into the world.

There is just birth.

Sometimes it happens how we plan, like with Marisa’s, and sometimes it just doesn’t go at all how we would have dreamed…no matter the support we surround ourselves with.

Still, birth is beautiful.

C-sections, epidurals, natural – bringing a child into this world is beautiful and something every mother should hold her head high about. Even with a scheduled birth and epidural, it hurts, it takes an amazing amount of strength and when that child comes out of your body, your body still vibrates from the inside out with love and excitement.

Marisa, you did amazing and I know you said you do not have a high tolerance to pain but I think you are not giving yourself enough credit. I watched that epidural needle go in and lady…I had to sit down and let my stomach sink back to where it belonged. I watched you give a handful of pushes and get that big ol’ baby out with pure determination. I am so honored I was able to capture the birth of your 3rd baby, your first son and all the beauty of your birth.

Thank you. xoxo

Here is the story of Marisa’s birth to her son, told in from my point of view – in picture form of course.