How do you want to remember your child’s birth? Do you want it to be photographed and videotaped? Or do you want it to be a quiet (well, minus the primal screams that will be erupting from the core of your being) and intimate experience with the memories in your mind and heart only?
Someone offered to take professional photos for us at our birth and my initial reaction was, “Thanks, but no thanks. I only kind of know you and I’m not sure I’m ready for your zoom lens to be focusing on my ripped perineum.”
I know that more and more photographers are capturing the amazing moments of birth and the beautiful bonding that happens right after the baby is born, but I don’t think I’d be comfortable with a stranger in the room watching it all unfold.
That being said, with our first two births my husband was right there with the video camera rolling, up close and personal, and I am so pleased to have those graphic, uncensored moments captured on film. Not that we’d bust them out and have a public viewing on each child’s birthday or anything, but there’s something special about knowing that the moment your lives changed forever is tucked away safely on your computer’s hard-drive and if the urge hit, you could press “play” and relive it.
I think the issue for me is how well I know the person snapping the photos or holding the video camera. It’s such a private, personal experience and I’d need to feel completely close and comfortable with whoever was storing the memories.
What about you? Did you take lots of photos and video at your birth? Would you consider hiring a professional photographer to be there for the labour?
I have photos of both my kids from the moments immediately after they were born, as well as a short snippet of video of my son’s first cries. These are pretty much perfect for me, the rest of it is etched in my memory forever. These photos and the little video are pretty much the most precious things I own though, they are backed up about a million times!
i think this is similar to (i believe it was) kathy’s post about do you videotape every single thing your kid does or do you just enjoy it? not that i’m saying i enjoyed labour! 🙂
not for me, thanks. i don’t need to see a baby shooting out of my nether regions to feel whole. i’ll just take the memories!
As far as photo’s I just have the generic “Last pic of pregnancy pic” of me posing sideways in my hospital gown just after being admitted.
We videotaped each birth (my sister taped the first 2, and hubby set the camera/tripod up for the third).
Not sure I’d want a “photographer” there, but have a feeling you’d get some really unique pics from it…if they usually do labour and birth photo’s they likely know how to stay out of the way and get some nice, intimate candids…