Charting the incredible journey of pregnancy and labor is something that many parents want today.
The days of delivering a baby in a room with no family or partner present and no recording of this incredible moment are long gone – thank goodness.
One mom always knew she wanted to have a professional birth photographer for her labor and delivery, knowing how quickly the time passes and how the memory becomes vaguer over time.
Tragically this couple’s pregnancy ended in heartbreak as the mom found out at 38 weeks that their baby had died inside of her.
“There is no way to convey the intense emotions we experienced from that point on, including the ones that arose within me knowing I would have to face an induction of labor and give birth to our lifeless child,” the brave mom wrote in a blog.
But she knew that more than ever she wanted those photos.
“They would be almost all we would be able to bring home with us from this day. It was very important to me,” she wrote in her article entitled “Stillbirth is still birth – the birth story of Henry.”
Her photographer said she had never photographed a stillbirth before and asked if she was willing to have another photographer who had experience photographing stillbirth. The mom agreed and was recommended Brianna Waltman.
The mom charts her heartbreaking experience and how much this photographer helped her and her husband deal with such an awful situation in the blog which was published on Breezy Photography.
“She (Brianna) was so inconspicuous and not distracting at all, which I really appreciated. Everything about what happened that day was so wrong, awful, and scary and painful, but when it came time to push him out, it was like time slowed down and it was the most beautiful moment of my life. It was sacred,” she wrote.
“I felt so much connection to my son even though his life was already gone. I talked to him and touched his head when it began to emerge and I felt so extremely present in that moment with him.
“My midwife guided my hands to his body and helped me deliver him into my own hands as I lifted him onto my stomach. I held him close, feeling so much intense love for him I felt like I should have been able to love him back to life.
“My husband told me he was a boy; we didn’t know ahead of time. I instantly knew his name was Henry, my sweet Henry boy. It was a moment of pure joy and utter heartbreak I will never, ever forget.
“Later, we sobbed as we looked through the photos Bri had taken. They were so incredibly beautiful and allowed me to solidify that special moment in my mind. I was able to see my sweet husband’s loving support. To see how his tender looks and touches warmed me to the core that I wasn’t necessarily aware of at the moment.
“These pictures are some of our most precious possessions now. Several are displayed around our house; we think about and talk about Henry every day.
“Having your child die inside of you at the very end is something I wish no parent ever had to go through. But if you do, I highly recommend taking as many pictures as possible, of the baby and the family, and I really, truly hope that you are able to have someone as talented and special as Brianna to take them.”
Such a brave mom for allowing a stranger into the room during such an incredibly private and sad moment in their lives but her account will undoubtedly help so many other parents who experience the same tragedy.
I’m glad they have so many images of their beautiful baby boy thanks to the professionalism and sensitivity of this photographer.
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