What do Cesarean deliveries look like in real life? This is demonstrated in these magnificent photographs from members of the International Association of Professional Birth Photographers (IAPBP). Lyndsay Stradtner of Life in Motion Photography, who resides in Texas with her husband and four 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren, launched the organization in 2010. It now has over 1,400 members from 37 countries. After the family’s things were ᴅᴇsᴛʀᴏʏᴇᴅ by Hurricane Katrina, Stradtner began snapping images with a DSLR camera to ensure that their priceless memories were preserved.
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She began documenting 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡s in 2007 and formed the IAPBP to facilitate communication between customers and photographers. Stradtner discussed how 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡 photography is sometimes misconstrued in a blog post on the IAPBP website. She debunked popular notions that 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡 photography is “ɢʀᴏss,” “ʏᴜᴄᴋʏ,” or “ᴅɪsɢᴜsᴛɪɴɢ,” by explaining why some families engage a delivery photographer and what the end result entails.
“Birth photography is about much more than the actual moment of 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡,” she stated. “There’s a lot more. It’s the 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡ing atmosphere, the lighting in the room, the small nuances, and the arrivals and departures of people there. The doula lends a helping hand, the midwife makes ᴘᴀɪɴ-relieving recommendations, and the OB prepares and assists the mom in pushing. It’s the first time the 𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦 is placed on the mom’s chest, the joyous tears, the rush of adrenaline, the cutting of the cord, and the infant’s little toes and fingers. It’s the first time a sibling sees a new 𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦 brother or sister, and they’re both excited and nervous.
It’s a combination of all of those things. It’s the story of a 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡day’s trip. It’s the process of forming a family. It’s unique. And if a family decides to do so, it is worthy of being photographed.” SELF was able to contact the IAPBP group and request that they contribute some of their most emotional photographs. The end result was very amazing, depicting a wide spectrum of 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡 experiences. Many of the photos provided depicted 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren being 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 through C-section.
According to the CDC, 32.2 percent of women will have a C-Section, whether planned or unplanned. This figure is greater than the World Health Organization’s suggested rate of 10 to 15% for “medically required”C-Section. The high number of sᴜʀɢɪᴄᴀʟ 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡s in the United States has sparked debate, with some expectant mothers feeling coerced by medical personnel to undertake the surgery, and others criticizing women who opt to have elective Cesarean deliveries. However, these operations are life-saving, and women should not be ashamed of undergoing them.
Cesarean deliveries are ᴛʀᴇᴍᴇɴᴅᴏᴜsly dramatic, moving experiences, as these photographs demonstrate, whether or not the technique was the mother’s first choice. Here are 21 Cesarean deliveries photographed by the excellent IAPBP photographers.
Show Comments 33-Year-Old Mum Of 12 Children, “Pregnant For 17 Years,” And Still Going Strong
Most people don’t aim to have a large family due to practical considerations, but a Kansas native and mother of 12 Britni Church most definitely does. Britni had no idea she would have such a large family, but after she started having kids, she realized how much she enjoyed the constant company that a large family offered.
The mother from Arkansas City, Kansas, gave 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡 to Crisman in 2004 with her ex-husband six days after turning sixteen. Crisman is now 15 years old. Jordan, 14, Caleb, 13, Jace, 12, and Cadence, 10, were the next four 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren the couple had together after getting married five days earlier.
Britni adored being single when the marriage split up in 2010, and she spent her weekends partying. In 2012, she became unexpectedly pregnant with Jesalyn, now eight, her sixth 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥. Before meeting Chris, a subcontractor, at work in 2014, she was a single parent for three years, rearing her kids all by herself.
Before Britni gave 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡 to son Christopher, age three, in 2016, and unexpected triplets Oliver, Asher, and Abel, age one, in June of last year, the couple welcomed their first son, Silas, age five, in the summer of 2015, a year after they first met. When Britni left her manufacturing job, she became pregnant with her 12th 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥. After the 𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦 was 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧, she revealed that the family was using 600 diapers every week.
Britni Church, 33, must spend a fortune on food, diapers, and clothing for her big brood. A mother of twelve expressed her least favorite question, one that she is “always” questioned about. Britni Church, a mother from Kansas, said that while she is busy, people usually ask if she expects her older 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren to look after their younger siblings or if she tries to avoid treating them like stand-in parents.
