Childbirth is an incredibly powerful experience for parents-to-be. And while some people might cringe at the idea of such an intimate moment being captured forever, others can’t wait to have it immortalized in a photo.
Leilani Rodgers, a mother of two and a birth photographer based in Texas, has caught some breathtakingly beautiful childbirth scenes. She documented the raw, yet the most breathtakingly memorable moments that she reckons the most.
Witnessing a baby born in the amniotic sac in tact is a rare moment. Leilani happened to capture just that! She claims that the birth took place in less than ideal circumstances because it was “dark, the room was small, and there were many birth workers present whose duty was far more essential than mine.” She was struck with emotion at being so fortunate to have experienced the moment, even if it was only through her camera, as she looked at the pictures she had taken at the end of the day.
The seven-year-old daughter of this woman is supporting her by pressing on the woman’s lower back. As she came into the birth room, it wasn’t expected of her, but she genuinely wanted to help her mother. It was a very sweet gesture for her age. Later, her mother admitted how comforting it had been to have her in the delivering room and how much she had been moved by the compassion her daughter had shown.
Leilani finds the C-section experiences just as breathtaking as that of natural birthing.
She also captured the rare occurence of a baby with six fingers. This baby has no bone in the extra finger, but for a nail. Quite fascinating.
These moments of mothers reaching for their babies and keeping them close to their chests as one of the most cherished moments. The joy, relief, and exhaustion is just so palpable.
She regards her experience as a birthing photographer a privilege as she gets the chance to witness the umbilical cords and the placentas that are nature’s marvels and have brilliant reasons to be there.
This image is that of Leilani’s niece. She had a calm birth. She describes this as a ‘heavenly moment’. “She came quietyly and peacefully into this world and took her time opening her big beautiful eyes to take in her new surroundings.” she adds.
Herbal baths are given few hours after birth, or a couple of days after birth. They not only have a wonderful scent but also promote perinium healing and strengthen the link between mother and child. They also produce one of her favorite clicks.
Leilani’s photograph catches the infant when she transitions from the womb to her mother. It’s fascinating to watch the mother’s desperate attempt to reach out and grab her kid.
This picture was photographed in a bathtub. This mother was aware that building birth tubs takes time; the time needed for filling and inflating them could not be sufficient. The image was captured while gazing through the shower stall’s glass.
