Is it insulting to ask the apprentice midwife to take pictures during homebirth?

[ejg123]

It is only going to be me, my partner, main midwife, and apprentice midwife at the home birth. My partner was hoping to catch the baby if there are no complications. I don't want to have an extra person there just to take pictures. We are pretty private and like that it will be a small group present at the birth. I'm not even sure I want pictures. And I very much like the apprentice midwife and don't want to insult her, but if everything is going smoothly, she would seem to be the most likely person to ask. Thoughts?

[dogmom327]

I would check with your main MW first. It's likely she has plans for the apprentice and so she may not have time to take pictures. If not though, I think it's okay to ask.

[DahliaRW]

Ditto the pp, but I would talk to the apprentice midwife ahead of time so it's planned.

[Vancouver Mommy]

I wouldn't. She's there to observe and learn, not take photos.

[Mainstream Hippie]

I would hire on a doula to take pictures, or a good friend. And I am also a pretty private birther.

I was talking to the mother-in-law of a woman in the process of certification and licensing for midwifery, and she was telling me about how they drive over an hour, and either she or the woman's mom sit and watch the woman's child, and while the woman has attended over 100 births, and all have been wonderful, only 46 of them have counted towards her 50 required 4-hand-catches required before she takes her Boards. She was saying she hoped the birth they were attending that morning counted.

I hope to catch my own baby this time (I wanted to last time, but he had a nuchal cord), and that will be something discussed, but I definitely wouldn't ask the apprentice midwife to take pictures, any more than I would ask the midwife. In fact, I might be more inclined to ask the midwife, as she is only as hands-on as needed, and tends to let the apprentice do things like heart tone checks, etc, while she oversees.

[ejg123]

Thanks everyone, for the feedback. I'm thinking I won't bring it up. I may have the camera out and if someone (midwife or apprentice) offers, I'll take them up on it. I would rather that than having another person there just for pictures, especially since I'm not even sure I want them.

[AugustLia23]

As an apprentice, it is not at all insulting to be asked to take pictures. I would bring it up at a prenatal visit, stating that you are thinking that you will want photos taken of the birth, but don't want an extra person there since you are a private person. Hopefully your midwife will naturally chime in at that time with a suggestion of who could take pictures. Depending on the experience of the apprentice, she may end up doing most of the birth while the midwife snaps shots.

Most home/birth center births are calm enough that one person can easily take pictures without it becoming too much.

Oh, and I think it's such a great idea to take photos, even if you aren't sure now that you'll want them, you may regret it if you don't. This is where modern technology comes in, like if you use a digital camera and decide you don't want them, just delete them. At least you'll have the option, and more likely than not, you'll be happy you got them.

[MidwifeErika]

I would bring it up to both of them. I sometimes take photos at births or sometimes it is my preceptor who will grab the camera, it isn't a big deal to ask them if they could take some photos if possible. I am certainly not insulted if I am asked to grab a few shots.

[Full Heart]

I would ask. Sometimes too they see the camera there and just start taking pics for you. Thats always nice. Another to consider is video and then you can get stills from that. My pics did not come out last time so I took stills from the video and that worked much better.

[rockportmidwife]

Go ahead and ask. When I was a student, there were many times that I or someone else on the birth team took photos.

[durafemina]

I would bring it up with both of them - mention you'll have a camera handy and if either of them is in a position to do so, you wouldn't mind them taking a shot or two. I'm a student mw and as this is my final year, I usually have my hands/mind way full at the birth while my preceptor has had time (and clean hands) to take a few photos for the family. In my first year though, the situation would have been totally reversed.
For this next birth, I plan on having the camera around and hopefully my mw will have a few moments to use it - hoping that dp or I will catch. Obviously she can't hand it over to the apprentice - that's me

[RachaelsMommy]

I was just talking to my DH today about this. I need somebody to help with DD and take pics and I really don't want anybody else there.

[2+twins]

I think it's really normal to have someone on the birth team take pictures. Honestly, I think they expect that a lot of their clients will want them to do this. I'd absolutely bring it up! I know at my last birth one of them took pictures (not sure which but it was certainly something we talked about prenatally - that they'd be happy to take pics for me if I wanted them to). If things become complicated during the birth, the camera would be put down I'm sure and all the focus would be on you - not like the apprentice wouldn't be learning, kwim? So ask - you really might regret not having those photos if you don't. I know I did (the first two times and I did try really hard the 2nd time to get video at least but it literally didn't work).

[~threemoons~]

I'm a birth assistant and I have taken many pictures. I have never been asked ( I usually offer) but I wouldn't be offended. Theres always the possibility that she may forget or be busy with something else but as long as your ok with that.....

[ejg123]

Thanks everyone. I think I will frame it as one person said - I'll have the camera out and if someone feels like they can take photos, that would be great. If not, c'est la vie. Glad to know, at least, that it won't insult anyone. Or at least that it is less likely based on those who have responded.

[treemom2]

My assistant midwife and doula took tons of pics during DS's birth. I think it would be okay to ask. . .worst case--they could say no.

[mwherbs]

i would talk to the midwife and apprentices at the appointment- personally if i see a camera out I don't pick it up and I may not say anything about it either- but if I know that the parents wanted to have pictures or planned on it- then I or someone else would know to pick up the camera-- the other thing is that cameras can take a bit of education to use- and I would rather know how to use it ahead of time than trying to figure it out while the woman is in labor- if it gets too busy and there is no one there specifically to take pics then you may not get them.

[TayTaysMama]

My MW asked me if I had a camera and wanted me to show her and her assistant/apprentice how it worked so they could take pics of the birth for me. It definitely wouldn't hurt to ask!

[Jilian]

My MW took so many great pictures for us with our camera. I just mentioned to her at a prenatal meeting that I wanted lots of pictures so if she could remind DH to take some that would be great. She ended up taking them, DH took some, my sister took some, and the apprentice even took a few. My sis and DH got all of the actual birth pics because the MW was busy. It can't hurt to ask.

If you're already having a doula at the birth you can ask her too, as a doula I've taken lots of pictures for clients. But I wouldn't hire a doula specifically for taking pictures because that would be pricey. Most doulas charge around $500 or more, and it might be kind of insulting to ask her to come just for pictures, KWIM?