Most women have never seen birth…until their own. We talk about how it may feel, what we may go through and our experiences. We even share stories and birth pictures. But what does birth really look like? What are our amazing bodies capable of? Growing a person with no detail forgotten to the moment of when our child is ready to separate from us physically and come earthside. What does THAT moment look like?
Well, Morag Hastings, a wonderful doula and photographer recently captured the details of the delicate, yet powerful moments of life beginning. The mother has given us permission to share. This was a first time mom and she had a great midwife. Baby boy was born 3 weeks early and was 8lbs 3 oz.
This picture is incredible. Art.
Look how mom reaches down and feels her baby’s head. So close!
Each picture captures the stages of crowning and baby being born.
This is birth.
To see more of Apple Blossom Families photography you can visit their website or see what’s new on Facebook!
Recommended Reading
Rueger’s Birth: Learning to Give Into the Power of a Woman’s Body
The Birth of Sicily Rose {Postpartum Hemorrhage, Vanishing Twin Syndrome}
Logan’s Birth Story {Med-Free Hospital Birth}
Wyatt’s Birth Story {Fast Birth Story}
My Fearless Birth {Home birth turned hospital}
Marc’s Birth Story {Born on Skype}
Welcome Caio {Costa Rica Water Birth}
Speedy {Literally Outside of the} Hospital Birth
Vaginal Hospital Birth of TRIPLETS
Compassionate Elective Cesarean Birth {Photographer’s Point of View}
37 Comments
Anne Ayers
Beautiful!!!!! I just watched my grandson being born 8 days ago and it was a moment I will never forget….
Renee
Stunning photos! Having witnessed birth prior to giving birth to my own child, I discovered in the moment that my nephew joined us earthside, a sacredness that photography and storytelling can never convey. This is part of the reason I invited one of my best friend’s to my son’s birth. Since she has yet to give birth, I wanted to extend the same gift that my sister extended to me in allowing me to witness the birth of my nephew. I think witnessing birth, especially a natural one can be pivotal moment.
Crystal - Prenatal Coach
WOW Morag, these are incredibly photos!! Thanks to the mama for sharing them too!
Morag Hastings
Thank you Crystal!
sue
im a midwife of over 19 years and IM ALWAYS blown away by birth i will never ever stop feeling privaladged each time i help a mumma bring their baby earth side.
Samantha
Very interesting.. I never got to see what it looked like down there when I gave birth.. Too cool!
Carrie
Amazing work by an amazing photographer! I wish I had seen images like this before my children were born. I think I might have felt more confident in the process. So glad people are investing in birth photography and capturing these moments that they would not be able to otherwise witness!
Amanda
This is absolutely beautiful! Love, love, love!
Candace
I have goosebumps! Being a birthworker, it never ceases to amaze me — the moments like this one that were captured in photographs. Gorgeous! Thank you to the family who shared this with us all.
Sara A.
Birth is beautiful…especially when someone’s gloved hands aren’t on the emerging baby :/
Jessica
That’s was my thought exactly! Move your hands- there is no need!
Helga
Those photos are amazing. I have witnessed a few birth already plus my own two, but this one looks so calm, controlled and SOOOO Clean!
Amelia B
These pics are amazingly beautiful. I have chills, goose bumps n tears. When I did midwifery, being able to aid in a birth was a awsome experience for me.
Kate
wow
Tina
This has me in tears. Absolutely beautiful! I have witnessed a few births and am on #3 myself and I can honestly say that each birth is just as amazing as the last. My 7 year old asked me what I was looking at so I let her see. I thought she would be a little freaked out by it but she just said, “Wow! Is that how the baby comes?” I am very proud of her right now.
Amie Salter
Simply amazing! What beautiful photos of such a beautiful event. I am always in awe of birth, no matter how many times I see it.
Gina
Beautiful photos Morag!
Angela
Wow! what amazingly beautiful pictures! It is so awesome how our body was created to birth in such a perfect fashion! Thank you for sharing!
Now, if only we could share these on facebook…:/
K
“…powerful moments of life beginning.” This young one was living long before his birth. It saddens me, that even in such a powerful world as the birth community, “we” still refuse to acknowledge that these miracles are life before they are born. Pregnancy is not simply “growing” a human inside of us, like growing a plant in a pot, but the very beginnings of motherhood and of nurturing our baby and of developing what sort of mother we will be.
These pictures are amazing. Congratulations to this mommy and big thanks to her for sharing these with the world.
Mrs. BWF
True and it wasn’t meant in that way. 😉
Jessica Austin, Vancouver Childbirth Services
Great shots, as usual, Morag!
Michaela Evanow
Morag, you are so amazing!!! These shots are incredible, National Geographic worthy.
Katie
Ha! Whatever you do, don’t look at them in backwards order. Now THAT is unnatural! Yikes! 😉
Great photos.
Mrs Sewell
These pics are beautiful. My mother was my support person for the birth of my son when I was 17 and she took photos and film snippets. Sadly, mine aren’t as beautiful as I was torn as he emerged. Ten days late and 9lb 9oz he didn’t waste time coming out. It was 4 and a half minutes from when he crowned to when he was brought up to my chest leaving me with one giant hole instead of 2 separate passages. I only hope my lil man, due Thursday, takes his time and lets me stretch. (and get ‘pretty’ photos).
Jennifer
It even captures something most people don’t even know happens- if you look carefully at the last photo, it shows fluid streaming from the baby’s mouth. Part of the reason c babies can have more respiratory issues is because they don’t go through the squeezing process of a vaginal birth- it literally squeezes out excess fluid from babies lungs and preps them for the breathing process. It’s amazing how such an intricate process has been worked out, to the last detail.
Sommer
I was able to witness my first child, our daughter, when her head crowned. The nurses put up a mirror so I could see, and I touched her head, it was so surreal! My husband was there watching, and his mother, an RN, was as well and she took photos of the actual birth–it was not nearly so clean as these! I tore, as my daughter came out in just a few minutes of pushing. When our second child was born by C-section when our doctor advised due to breech, I was sad that I was not able to see anything that was happening, but my husband again watched the whole thing and said it was “gnarly”. Our son had some respiratory issues for a short time, nothing major, but I was sure it was because he had not been squeezed during birth like our daughter!
Kabrina
I have 6 children pregnant with number 7 and I have never gotten to see this! I watched a few videos recently of crowning babies how amazing. Believe it or not I have never seen this with my own children :(. Thank you for the share! Simply beautiful!
disappointed
I used to see these as beautiful. Now, all I see is a horrible birth position, gloved hands, unnecessarily, touching and pressing on the labia, and a terrible bright light greeting a brand new human being. A little person deserving of a physiological birth.
Nirvana
Wow…amazing… No matter how many times I see this, I am amazed at the power of our bodies and the intricate nature of human life…..No matter the method of delivery, birth is awe inspiring… My second baby boy was also born three weeks early and 8lbs 3oz…could have been me except I was standing for his delivery….. : )
theresa russell
i have seen 3 of my 4 grandchildren be born 2 natural one c-cection it was so amazing!! something you never forget!
Holly Watson
In reference to “disappointed”, it looks like the hand is actually holding a warm compress. Am I mistaken?
Jill
Thank you so much for sharing, I didn’t get to have natural births, so never got to experience this. Though I didn’t get my beautiful, natural births, I am so happy to have two beautiful, healthy kids. Thanks to this wonderful website and such caring, sharing, happy mums, I get some idea of how it can be.
Kathryn
I have goosebumps and tears. What a spectacular job, photographing this beautiful moment!
Brandi
I have some very similar photo’s of my nephew being born only the doctor was so rough and pulling on his head. I love how gentle the hands are in this photo. <3
Amanda
Absolutely beautiful! There is nothing more beautiful than a peaceful and calm natural birth and for a first time mom, wow!
mariam
wow i actually found this amazing :3. i wish some people would be able to see the beauty in something so simple yet complex 🙂
L
These are just beautiful, thank you so much for sharing them. I just gave birth two months ago so maybe I’m a little hormonal still lol, but it brought tears to my eyes.