Photographing and/or Videotaping the Birth

[virgo]

This is my first pregnancy and as someone who loves pictures I'm considering having some tasteful photographs taken of the birth. I'm curious to know if anyone else has had photographs taken or videos made and did they have a family member do it or a professional birth photographer?? Were you comfortable having such a private moment photographed if you got photos? If you opted not to have any did you wish you had later?

[ivymae]

Our doula took pictures with our first, but since she was not a professional photographer and it was night, lighting was a big issue, and the few shots she got were with the flash which was distracting.

With our second, we set up the video camera, but forgot to turn it on until after the birth, but I was okay with that. We took pictures immediately afterwards, and our midwife helped get a few shots.

With our third, I've become good friends with a local photographer, and she offered to come by and take pictures, IF i felt open to it once labor started. I went back and forth about it, and decided to call her on the day, and I'm glad I did. I think the fact that we are friends made it less awkward, though there were times when I noticed she was in the room and I had a moment of "Well, now C's seen my vagina. Weird." The photos are beautiful, and i am sososo glad we have them.

[Cersha]

I videotaped the pushing and delivery of DS2, and I'm glad I did. If you hate it, you can delete it, but you can't go back and film it again.

[CherryBomb]

Originally Posted by Cersha

I videotaped the pushing and delivery of DS2, and I'm glad I did. If you hate it, you can delete it, but you can't go back and film it again.

Good point!

[virgo]

Thanks ivymae! That helps a lot!

Cersha - Did you have someone videotape or set up a tripod?

I'm actually thinking about having a local birth photagrapher who's work I love photograph the birth. Most likely my DH, mom, and possibly MIL will be the only one's in the delivery room with me and I don't want them to have to focus on anything other than the mommy and baby.

[MyFullHouse]

I've actually considered *becoming* a birth photographer, if I could ever find someone trustworthy and reliable to watch my kids on short notice!

Most photographers will meet with you before hand to determine exactly what crosses the line into "intrusion". If you do a google search, you can look at quite a few portfolios that will range from a few portraits of family members' faces to "the whole shabang", iykwim. That would be your call, as the client.

I feel like the whole concept has really passed me by, since it never interested me with the first couple of kids. I have issues with "fairness".

[fyrwmn]

we have pics from immediately afte rboth kid's births, but none from during. i greatly regretted not videotaping dd's birth. i never heard her cry, or at least not conciously and that has always bothered me a bit. i knew she was fine because she was up on my chest, but for some reason i feel like i missed something big with that first cry. because of this, we chose to tape ds's birth. dh was doing the actual catching, slightly assisted by the dr, so we set up the video camera on the hospital table. you know the ones that fit over the bed for meals and such. because they are height adjustable we were able to position it perfectly. and ds must have listened because there was no way i could miss his hearty cry, lol! we don't go showing the video to everyone, but it's something we really treasure and we'll do with all future births.

[Drummer's Wife]

my situation is a little different - as I've had four c-sections - but I am really glad to have pictures of laboring (for the 2 I labored) and each of their births. My mom was in the OR, and able to snap some pics - so not professional, and not as many as I would want in a non-surgical birth, but better than nothing.

As far as a professional - I think if it was someone I knew, I'd probably feel okay with it - though, when you birth in a hospital, there are many strangers looking at you and in and out of the room, that someone taking pics probably won't add to any discomfort.

[porcelina]

A friend of mine had a family member who was a professional photographer. She was on the fence about having him do it, but finally decided to do it at the last minute.

The resulting slideshow put to music that he created made me weep buckets! It was SOOOO beautiful!! I say if you know someone and are thinking about it, go for it!!! Especially for the first!!

[virgo]

I think I'm going to go with a birth photographer. DH is fine with it as long as I'm comfortable.

fyrwmn - Where do you get videocameras that fit over the hospital bed?

[fyrwmn]

lol, i meant that the hospital table fits over the bed. that would be a cool camera though!

[brownskinchinee]

I videotaped the entire thing with my first baby and I plan on having pictures taken with this one (if I get access to a video camera I will be doing video too)...I can't imagine not doing it. My dd is 7 and I still watch her birth video.
With my first dd my husband did it, this time a friend is doing it.

[born2birth]

I just went yesterday and met with a professional photographer who will (if all goes right) be taking the photos at my 5th birth. We have photos of the other L&D's but just taken by hubby - so he's not in any of them... and I really want to have shots of all of us from an observers POV.

I'm already at ease with her & we plan on getting to know each other better over the next few months ~ so it won't feel strange having her at the birth.... and besides.. after 4 births already... I have no self decency anymore when it comes to labor. LOL

[sweet_tart_vt]

#1 (Birthcenter) DH took picturesof labor but the batteries in our camera died at pushing stage
#2 (Hosp)DH filmed the entire labor& birth
#3(Birthcenter)DH filmed most of the labor& the entire birth
#4 (UC) MIL filmed the birth, but was taking care of the kids for most of labor
#5 (UC solo) no pics/film DH didnt make it home in time
#6 (UC) DH made it in time to "catch", but no time for pics/film
#7 (planned UC) having camera ready at the 1st ctx so we dont miss again lol. Im due in 14days.

I agree with what was previously said in that you may be a bit embarrassed by the "graphic-ness" of it afterward and not want to share the detailed pics or footage with anyone but family and very close friends; but it's better to have those memories, as "in your face" as they may be, than to not have them at all.

[virgo]

Originally Posted by fyrwmn

lol, i meant that the hospital table fits over the bed. that would be a cool camera though!

LOL! Hopefully someone will invent it soon!

Originally Posted by born2birth

We have photos of the other L&D's but just taken by hubby - so he's not in any of them... and I really want to have shots of all of us from an observers POV.

Good point! If DH or my mom is in charge of photos they won't be in any of them.

Originally Posted by sweet_tart_vt

#7 (planned UC) having camera ready at the 1st ctx so we dont miss again lol. Im due in 14days.

I agree with what was previously said in that you may be a bit embarrassed by the "graphic-ness" of it afterward and not want to share the detailed pics or footage with anyone but family and very close friends; but it's better to have those memories, as "in your face" as they may be, than to not have them at all.

Congrats on the little one!!

I guess I'll make sure the photographer doesn't share the photos with anyone other than me in the contract.

[Funny Face]

I've had photos and video at both births, last time we had a professional birth photographer and I've hired her for this birth as well. Those pictures are absolutely invaluable to me. I love them dearly.

And the video is so important to me as well and the kids love watching their births!

Last time we just set the video up on a tripod and it worked great until my mom stepped right infront of it as ds came out.

So if your videoing tell someone to make sure no one is standing in front of it!

[BethMama]

With my son, dh and my sister took turns with both our digital and video cameras. Most of the footage was pretty graphic (pushed for two hours, didn't know he was OP), but we have watched it a lot as a family, and it helped me fill in the gaps (at times I thought my MW was being too pushy, but looking at the tape, she wasn't).

I think it will just be dh and and I this time (sis home w/ds), so we will use a tripod, but we LOVE having those memories on tape.

[Comtessa]

I asked SIL to attend my HB as a doula/photographer. She got some extraordinary photos of labor & birth (in between making me smoothies and filling/emptying the birth pool)!

I ended up transferring to the hospital, and made sure that it was in my transfer birth plan that she was to be allowed in the room. The nurses tried to give me trouble about a camera, but the OB overrode their objections. I'm so glad she did. The photos ARE graphic, but she went through them all and made a whole folder of "edited" versions of the photos that I could show to anybody. It was a wonderful gift.

She even had the presence of mind to take a photo of the clock on the wall showing the time DD was born, and a photo of the front page of the newspaper that day! I wasn't sure I'd want photos, but I'm SO glad we have them.

ETA: One great photo that she took in labor was a close-up shot of DH holding my hand while I was having a contraction. My brother got a copy of that photo and used it as a model for a hand portrait that he drew, then framed and gave to DH & me as a (belated) wedding present. It's on our wall, and it's special because it's a memory of such an important moment for us.

[nikirj]

My son (age 8) took photos at this last birth, and he did almost as good a job as most professional photos I've seen. There were more than a couple (about 20) that looked like professional quality. I had no idea he was that good, but we've since been letting him take the camera out and about and have found out he has a great sense of framing/composition/lighting.

There are quite a few photos that are WAY less than flattering, that a professional would have known not to take. But we can just not share those.

When I go to births and have an opportunity to take photos for a family, I do it. It's true that you can always delete later - without even looking, if you want to - but you can't go back in time and take those photos. I've only ever gotten thanks for it.

We don't have good photos of 2 of our births because the opportunity got lost in the shuffle. That makes me sad, especially given how good the pictures are of our most recent birth.

We chose not to videotape it, because it would be for our own use/viewing only, and I'm not interested in watching myself that way; it feels like it removes a lot of the "feeling" from the process, and I don't get that same disconnect just viewing photos. If that makes any sense.

[Chavelamomela]

Well, we had a whole camera crew at our most recent birth!

We were on "A Baby Story" (our homebirth aired last week).

It was a very good experience. The crew was a cameraman and a director (no lighting person). They were VERY professional, didn't say a word, didn't interrupt anything or get in the way. They just did their thing and stayed out of our way.

We are thrilled to have been on the show. We now have a wonderful keepsake to the birth!