Why This Touching Birth Picture Is Winning The Internet
This photo of a mum hugging her daughter goodbye before giving birth is going viral [Photo: Laura Paulescu Crowned Photography]
Giving birth for the first time has to be up there as one of the most emotional experiences ever. Surely nothing can be as tear-jerkingly fraught as that very first time you welcome a shiny human into the world? But one photograph that is quickly going viral offers proof that giving your first, second or even third born child a sibling is perhaps even more filled with bittersweet sentiment.
Birth photographer Laura Paulescu, Crowned Photography beautifully captured the touching moment mum Nikki Colquitt, hugged her daughter to her contracting stomach to say goodbye before she gave birth to her next baby.
“Pure sweetness,” the photo was captioned when it was shared it to Laura’s Crowned photography Facebook page. “Last hugs before saying goodbye to momma and the last time she would sit on that big round belly with her sister still inside.”
[Photo: Laura Paulescu Crowned Photography]
The little girl, along with her older brother, were playing in the hospital room while their mum was in early labour. As their dad took them home to be looked after by a babysitter, Laura was able to capture the tender and raw moment mum and daughter hugged goodbye.
“When the “little” big girl climbed up on the bed to say goodbye, her mum scooped her up over her contracting belly and they just held each other so close,” Laura told Yahoo. “They stayed like that for just a few sweet moments before her daughter quickly climbed down and was off playing again with her big brother, oblivious to how much her life would be changing overnight. In fact, when she “officially” said goodbye to her mom she gave her a nonchalant ‘See ya!’ as daddy was carrying her out of the hospital room. But the moment of that last hug goodbye was just so special, and I’m so honoured to have frozen that moment in time for them to treasure forever.”
And the photo has clearly touched a chord with other mums who understand the conflicting feelings a mum-to-be will go through when giving birth to a sibling. Since sharing earlier this year the photo has been liked almost 2K times and received hundreds of comments from mums who had been through similar experiences with their own children.
[Photo: Laura Paulescu Crowned Photography]
As a mum-of-two herself photographer Laura was also able to relate to that special last-hug with a big sibling to be. “Holding your “little” one so close one last time, before they aren’t the little one anymore. That’s a moment that stays with you forever,” explains Laura. “The gut wrenching mixture of overwhelming joy, coupled with heartbreak letting your “baby” go, and scared every time as you wonder how your love can grow even more.”
Although she’s been surprised by the attention the photo has received, Laura puts it down to the fact that the picture makes mums of more than one child remember their own birth goodbyes.
“Every mother of two or more children has had this moment, whether it’s a kiss on their forehead in the dark of night, a final tearful hug before leaving the driveway for a scheduled induction, or a last snuggle in the hospital bed before they leave with grandma,” she explains. “No matter how it happens, the feeling is the same, and seeing this moment frozen in a photo brings you right back to how that felt.”
[Photo: Laura Paulescu Crowned Photography]
She hopes the picture might go someway to explain the special role played by birth photographers and encourage others to consider having that special time captured professionally
“When people hear about birth photography, they often have a very skewed, narrow-minded idea of what I capture,” she explains. “So I’m thrilled that this image is getting the attention it deserves, and to show people what special moments a birth photographer captures for your family that you wouldn’t have thought to capture otherwise. Giving birth is so much more than ‘the moment’ when a baby is born it’s a whole beautiful mess of hellos, goodbyes, joy, sadness, sacrifice… and love that overwhelms you more than anything in your entire life.”
“I hope that by seeing this photo, more people start to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of what we do as birth photographers; documenting every little significant aspect of one of the most life-changing days of your life, so that you can go back after the haze of labor, giving birth, and newborn-land has passed, and have those moments come rushing back to you.”
“It’s moments like these that make me love this job so much.”
Would you have your birth professionally photographed? Let us know @YahooStyleUK
