pregnancy

Birth photographer refuses to document this mum's labour because 'it's not birth'.

There are few times in life when women are expected to be ‘natural.’ In fact, it’s generally the opposite.

Shave your legs. Dye away your greys. Put make-up on. Don’t age for Christ’s sake, you monster.

But when it comes to giving birth, suddenly the push goes in the opposite direction.

Women who opt for cesareans are still unfairly judged for not doing it the right way, as one new mum found out from her birth photographer.

The unnamed woman shared a screenshot of a troubling exchange with her photographer, who refused to DO HER JOB and shoot a C-section.

This is not okay would love to know who this photographer is! 😡😡😡😡😡😡 !Moms who have had a C-section you're just as much…

Posted by Breastfeeding Mama Talk on Saturday, 25 February 2017


“I had no idea birth photographers discriminated [against] people for how they birth their babies,” the mother wrote.

A surgery isn’t a birth, my dear,” the photographer spat back.

“You are having a surgery to remove your baby from your abdomen. That is not a birth no matter how you swing it and I for one don’t want to be there to take pictures of it.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Speaking of recording your birth, would you Snapchat yours? The MMOL team discuss the pros and cons:

The screenshot appeared in the Breastfeeding Mama Talk Facebook group, where it received 10,000 reactions.

The top one was ‘angry’.

“As a C-Section mum this makes me so sad!” wrote one woman whose daughter had been breech because of a short umbilical cord.

“Had I attempted to turn her or deliver her it would not have worked unless the cord broke and most of us know how that ends.

“I’m thankful that my daughter is here and we are both safe regardless of how she got her.”

Hers was one of hundreds of furious comments from mothers who know that the choice of a surgical birth is often not a choice at all, rather a matter of life and death.

“As a birth photographer, this makes me so sad and upset,” one member of the group wrote.

“The cesareans that I had the privilege of shooting were some of my most favourite images ever.

“It doesn’t matter how that baby comes out, your BIRTH story is beautiful and deserves to be captured.”

Hear hear.