"I had a professional photographer at my daughter's birth."

Why wouldn’t you have one present at the moment you meet the love of your life?

There are two distinct camps when it comes to having a professional photographer present at the birth of your child. Those that think it’s a bit odd, kind of gross and all about getting happy snaps of your va-jay-jay as a head emerges from it, and  those that think it’s a beautiful memento to have at the most amazing time in your life.

I had a professional photographer with me when my daughter was born last August. It was absolutely one of the best decisions I have made and I do not regret even a single grizzly shot. My logic was, you have a photographer on your wedding day, why wouldn’t you have one present at the moment you meet the love of your life?

My birth didn’t go quite as ‘planned’ (do they ever?). I was going to be calm and hypnobirth in the water. I wasn’t going to scream, make any animal noises and I definitely wasn’t having drugs. The delivery suite was going to be a sanctuary of love and peace and the photographer was going to capture all these touching moments where I looked like Blake Lively circa season 2 of Gossip Girl.

In reality, I was induced and hooked up to a pole and IV, I spent a lot of time vomiting, having violent diarrhea and generally looking, sounding and feeling pretty darn unpleasant. It was at some point around the 3 hours of hell mark when I was informed I was two centimetres that I demanded an epidural. The epidural failed and an hour later I was pushing. I was so incredibly exhausted that I refused to get out of bed and into the bath. I can assure you there was plenty of animal noises.

It was around this time that we had to make the call about contacting our wonderful photographer Bec to come in. She had made it clear to me early on when we discussed it that I was in total control. She would work on my terms and if I decided I didn’t want to go ahead that was okay.

I told my partner I didn’t want Bec to come in. I didn’t want anyone in there – a big divergence from my birth plan where my mum and my mother in-law would both be present. It was too intimidating for me. I felt vulnerable and exposed.

Like the superstar she is, she came to the hospital anyway and patiently waited in case I changed my mind again. I cannot thank her enough for this.

Moments after my baby girl was born, Bec was in the delivery suite. She captured hundreds of photos of the first hour of my daughter’s life. The way she looked at me with her big beautiful eyes. The tears her dad was wiping away as he spoke to his little girl for the first time, the moment he cut her umbilical cord. The kiss Scott and I shared as he told me how proud of me he was, how much he loved me and this little person we created.

I have photos of both her grandmothers meeting her for the first time, of me keeping a careful eye as she was weighed and measured. You can feel the emotion when you look at the photos, even if you weren’t there and even if you haven’t had a baby. It’s palpable in the smiles and expressions between each other. Even as I recall seeing them for the first time now, I have tears in my eyes.

I have one very raw photo taken as I delivered the placenta. It’s not pretty. Maybe if it wasn’t a picture of me I would feel differently, but it’s honest and real and I’m glad I have it.

Having professional photos taken at your birth isn’t about shooting like you’re going to be on the Discovery Channel. It’s about capturing all the little moments that you might otherwise forget. Capturing all the little firsts of your precious baby, whether it’s your first or your fifth. People will look at you like you have two heads when you tell them. But I promise you, if they are privileged enough to see the finished product they’ll understand.

One of my favourite, nipple free images from the night now adorns our hallway and it’s certainly a conversation starter when people see it for the first time. I can see it as I hold my precious girl in the rocking chair in her room and it still gets me, every single time.

Would you have a photographer in the delivery suite with you?

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