A pregnant woman took the internet by storm when she covered herself and her baby bump in bees for a unique maternity photo shoot in a viral video that has gotten more than 7 million views and thousands of comments. A video posted on Facebook by LADbible explained that the expectant mother was a beekeeper by trade, so she knows how to handle the bees and was completely comfortable around them. But that didn’t stop the shocked and worried reactions of onlookers in the video or the stunned and confused responses from social media users.
Although some Facebook users said she was not harming anybody and obviously knew what she was doing, others protested that she was placing her unborn baby in harm's way unnecessarily. Regardless of how you feel about seeing the expectant mother covered in bees, it is quite the sight.
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The mother is a beekeeper by trade and grew up around bees.
The mother was identified as Emilie in the video, and she is a beekeeper and her father was a beekeeper as well, so she grew up around bees and even left school in her mid-teens to spend more time with them, according to LADbible.
Evidently they have been a significant part of her life and she wanted to pay tribute with the unique maternity shoot. The expectant mother also reportedly stated that she feels more comfortable around a beehive in shorts and a swimsuit, the news outlet noted in the video.
The mom-to-be appeared completely calm and serene, even laughing and smiling throughout the video. All the power to her because pregnancy alone can be unnerving without a swarm of bees being added on top of everything else.
She’s not the only mom to do a unique maternity shoot involving bees.
As unique as a bee-themed maternity photo shoot is, Emilie is not the only mother to attempt it. Another mother of three in Ohio took a maternity photo covered in more than 20,000 bees, according to People.
Emily Mueller, the expectant mother, made headlines using a 4-pound swarm of bees in her Cleopatra-inspired photo. She said it was to honor her son, whom she lost in a stillbirth prior to the pregnancy she had in the bee-themed photos. “We wanted to honor him one more time. I found it exhilarating and I absolutely enjoyed every second of it,” she said, according to the magazine.
Emily started beekeeping after several miscarriages.
“Bees represent the beginning of new life and after my second miscarriage, I needed a new release," she explained, per People. "I connected with the bees and it helped take my mind off of other hardships that were surrounding me at the time, some people do yoga … I do bees.”
She partnered with Kendra Damis Photography for the incredible photo shoot. Kendra wrote a beautiful caption to honor the mother in a Facebook post.
Bees are not aggressive by nature.
According to Buzz about Bees, bumblebees are rarely aggressive and only sting when provoked. The site also states that swarming honey bees are more interested in finding a new hive or location for the colony than they are in stinging humans, though the sight of swarming bees feels pretty daunting and intimidating.
Buzz about Bees does recommend keeping a safe distance away from a honey bee swarm and to not throw objects toward bees or provoke them in any way.
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Facebook users' comments on the video were unhinged.
Some Facebook users didn’t think the mom's photo shoot was harming anyone since she is a trained beekeeper.
As one user wrote, “It literally says she's a bee keeper, they're trained to spot the behavior of the bee's. They're not being aggressive. They don't sting unless harmed or scared. She's not harming the baby or the bee's, what's the issue?”
“This is obviously something that has special meaning to her considering her and her fathers jobs. Good on her!" someone else chimed in. "She’s hardly hurting anyone. The bees are not distressed, I see no problem.”
But other people on Facebook pointed out that it could cause harm to her unborn baby.
“Why would you do this to yourself when pregnant? What would have happened if they decided to sting whose fault would that be then?” one person wrote.
“Surely this isn’t safe for baby? Baby could have a bee allergy?” someone else shared.
And then the bee puns started rolling in.
“Please if you have a daughter call her Honey,” one user wrote.
Another commented, “She's having a Beeby!”
Regardless of which side you lean toward, there is no doubt this mom will have some unique pregnancy photos to remember her pregnancy.
