The sacrament of childbirth, on the one hand, is the most beautiful process that can be, the process of the emergence of a new life. On the other hand, it is not a spectacle for the faint of heart: after all, physiology has not yet been canceled.
Telling the story of birth in a way that is both beautiful and not fun is a separate art. More and more often, parents want them not only to have glamorous shots of a neat baby in a decorative cocoon, but also these shots “saturated” with the spirit of the process. The professionals who do this are members of an international association , now it has over 1100 members in 51 countries around the world.
Annually holds a competition for the best works of the year. Winners are selected in four categories: contractions, childbirth itself, postpartum period and birth in detail. This year 25 photos were awarded the title of the best. Unfortunately, we cannot show them all: the pictures turned out to be very frank. But those that we can are enough to impress.
Our rainbow baby is finally here
Australian Belle Verdiglione became the absolute winner this year. “Our rainbow child is finally here” is the title of this shot.
To understand the full power of the picture, you need to know: “rainbow” is a baby that a woman was able to bear after a series of miscarriages or the birth of a dead baby. Now look at this mom again. What emotions do you see on her face?
The best in the category “Birth in Detail” was named the Canadian Samantha Evans. The woman kisses the baby, who is just being freed from the “shirt” – the fetal bladder in which he was born. “Wrapped up” – that’s what Samantha called this shot.
Another photographer from Canada, Ashley Marston, took the prize in the category “Childbirth”. “Many hands” – five people help the baby to be born. Mother herself, giving birth, carefully holds the head of the crumbs.
“I am grateful to the families who are ready to share the wonderful moments of childbearing with the whole world,” says the founder of the Association, Lindsay Strandtner.
And we, too, with the permission of the IAPBP, will share these pictures with our readers. Isn’t it a miracle?