A woman's body truly is a miracle, and this fact is most beautifully illustrated during the miracle of childbirth. Ask any witnessing party: What a woman can accomplish through pain, sweat, and tears is awe-inspiring. When a woman goes into labor, her body changes rapidly to bring new life into the world. As moms well know, birth is an incredible process: inspiring, frightening, and truly just plain cool. That's right, we said it: The vagina is cool. And if you've tried to avoid thinking too hard about what it takes to push a baby through such a small opening, don't worry. These photos show you in incredible detail.
Birth photographers often get to illustrate just how versatile the vagina really is when they capture the moment a baby's head is about to crown. These intimate and inspiring birth photos illustrate the beauty and wonder of the moment a baby emerges from its mother's womb — and prove women are strong as hell.
Yes, the female body goes through many contortions to bring a new life into the world. Not only is it a wonder to behold, but it also deserves to be celebrated without reserve. Let's also not forget that, despite hours of painful labor, many women take a pause in pushing to touch their babies' crowning head for the first time. It's an irreplaceable moment.
Warning: These photos are graphic — and completely badass.
Crowning Achievement
This amazing photo by Family Tree Photography shows exactly how much the vagina has to stretch to let the baby pass through. And that's just the head! Oof!
The Beginning
Truly the beginning of the end. In this photo by Deborah Elenter, a mama is about to make the push of a lifetime, and you can just see the head about to crown. You can do it!
Here Comes Baby
There is nothing more exciting than when you can see your LO's head for the first time. In this photo from Sunny Coast Birth Photography, you can see that this little guy has a nice, full head of hair and that he is mere seconds from having a neck. Go, baby, go!
A Face Presentation
This baby has a face presentation — meaning that it's coming out face first — which is an unusual complication during birth. In fact, it only happens in 1 in every 600 to 1 in every 800 births. So exceedingly rare!
Birth photographer Samantha Garcia Gagnon tells CafeMom: "[This] was the first presentation [birth] I have ever witnessed. … I am so grateful that my client allowed me to share this rare moment publicly, so that people can see the possibilities in birth."
Pushing for Glory
This incredible shot by Lindsey Meehlis shows a mom preparing to pass her baby's shoulders. You can even see her little one's tiny hand and the doctor ready to catch the baby. So stunning!
The Agony of Childbirth
This image by Nicole In Bold Photography shows both the beauty and the pain of childbirth. This mom is just pushing the head through, about to welcome her child, while her face captures every emotion of the moment.
Poised for Greatness
"This was a home birth with the assistance of two midwives," birth photographer Masha Georgiev tells CafeMom. "Mom was incredibly strong and determined. She labored almost silently. To all of our surprise, the baby came quite fast! I almost didn't make it! But I was able to arrive just in time to capture her crowning, and minutes later this perfect little tiny human was born." Aww!
The Final Stretch
This is actually a picture of photographer Ashley Reeves herself, giving birth to her fourth child. Her husband quickly snapped this picture, and Ashley tells CafeMom, "It was a high-risk delivery, as I had pregnancy-induced thrombocytopenia. My platelet count was extremely low, which caused me to immediately hemorrhage after her birth. Luckily my doctors were expecting that so I was in good hands."
She adds, "These moments are everything to me, which is why I have a profound love for birth photography. To grow a child in your body for nine months and then birth that child with your own body, and then nourish and feed that child with your own body is miraculous. Women are so powerful, and I don't think we give ourselves enough credit. Through images like this, I hope others can see and feel that power and strength, no matter what the circumstances or environment in which you give birth."
Almost Home
This mom has made it past the hardest obstacle: the shoulders. You can now see her baby's sweet, little smushy face. What a beautiful image of her child being born, captured by Belle Verdiglione Photography.
Head First
Did you know that it's completely normal for a baby's head to come out a bit elongated? That's because there are two soft spots on the baby's skull — at the top and in the back — that can be misshapen from pressure during childbirth. This process even has a name: molding.
Incredible!
This mom photographed by First Light Birth Photography gently strokes her baby's head as it presents outside of her. Can you imagine anything more surreal?
Almost Here!
This mom photographed by Blossom and Bloom Photography is just beginning to crown. You can see her doctor's hand gently feeling for the baby's head so he can direct the mother when to push. You got this, mama.
A Risky Delivery
This mother's birth photographer, Blanca Gonzalez, explains, "[Her family] traveled all the way from Mexico to use a midwife in El Paso, because [her doctors] told her twins could only be delivered by C-section."
A New Adventure Is on Its Way
This doctor, photographed by Jami Hallam, is helping to ease baby's head out. What an amazing beginning!
An Incredible Breech
Photographer Blanca Gonzalez tells us, "[This] breech baby is [from] a mom who had prepared for a home birth in New Mexico. It is illegal to have breech babies at home in New Mexico, so she chose to travel to Texas [to have her baby]." This is the incredible result.
