Why You Should Hire a Birth Photographer

As a birth worker and a mother of three, I have experienced birth from both sides. With my first child's birth, we brought our camera. It wasn’t until I got home, days after my daughter was born, that I looked back at the images my nurse had taken. I was forever grateful. In her not-so-professional photography, I was able to see the moments of hard work pushing my baby out, having my husband there by my side, seeing his face the instant he saw our daughter for the first time, and the beautiful tears from all of us meeting her on the outside. Amazing! 

I never thought about birth photography until I saw these moments. I knew going forward we needed to capture these memories for our family, and I needed to offer this service for the families I work with, too.

Think back to the best days of your life, do you have pictures from it? Most likely, but maybe you don't and wished you did. The birth of your baby will be a day you want to remember, look back on, and share the story with your little one. Labor is unpredictable, and a professional photographer will be able to document all the little details that you may not see because you will be riding the waves of labor. Your partner, who most likely will be new to the birth experience, too, can be 100% focused on you, supporting you in every way you need and not worrying about when to get the camera ready. 

Give yourself the best gift - birth photography - a beautiful way to capture your transformation to motherhood and beautifully preserve all the emotions you felt the moment you first held baby in your arms.

Stacey Schmitt is a mother to her three littles, prenatal & postnatal yoga instructor at Toula Yoga, and a birth doula with Iowa Doula Agency.  Find a full offering of Stacey's birth, photography, placenta, and yoga services here.