The first birth I ever photographed was a scheduled c-section for one of my friends. We traveled from Golden BC to Calgary for her birth. A lot of times if you have high risk factors, the doctors will recommend traveling from a rural town such as ours, to a larger city for your delivery. Since she had a scheduled c-section, this made our travel and birth photography plan quite easy. Normally as a birth photographer I would be on call for several weeks for a parent. However when a birth is scheduled it is much easier to plan for. It was for this reason that I could photograph her c-section birth in Calgary.
Scheduled C-Section Birth Photography
Normally as a birth photographer I would be on call for parents at their 38-week mark. From there, I am always ready to arrive at their birth at a moments notice. However, for scheduled c-sections it's much easier to plan for since they have a set date. For this reason, I was able to photograph my friend's c-section birth in Calgary. Since there was a specific time for her surgery, I could commit to being there as her birth photographer.
Sometimes parents think that they can't book a birth photographer for their c-section. But you can! Birth photography is generally inclusive of all types of birth, depending on who you work with. For me, I always let parents know that c-sections births are never less than, they are just as legitimate as other ways of birthing. Of course we should document c-sections too! Check out Huffpost's 15 Intimate C-Section Birth Photos for some beautiful examples.
A Beautiful Birth Story
To attend and photograph a birth is an incredible, emotional experience. My friend's c-section was the first birth I ever witnessed. We still laugh about how emotional we were in the OR compared to the doctor's who do this everyday and had seven more babies to birth after us. We were a roller coaster of emotion.
It was a complete pleasure to photograph my friend's excitement as the c-section began and then her overwhelm of emotion as we heard her baby's first cry. The very best moment of the entire experience was when her son was born, the doctors held him up. The room took a unanimous pause to welcome him on his birthday. It was really beautiful.
Thinking About Birth Photography?
If you are considering hiring a birth photographer and like the images you see here, I would love to hear from you. My photography business is located in Golden BC and I frequently serve the surrounding areas such as Banff, Canmore, Invermere and Revelstoke. Obviously there are some logistics to work out for birth photography, but if I am unable to work with you I will help you find a birth photographer who can.
