Giving birth to a child in the comfort of home, surrounded by loved ones can make for an unforgettable experience. Abbey is a Maryland mom who made this decision more than once (she and her husband welcomed both their daughters at home) and was eager to do the same with her son on the way. Little did Mom know that her home birth, and the images a local photographer took, would showcase the miracle of childbirth in such an incredible way.
More from CafeMom: 13 Birth Photos That Capture the True Connection Between Mom & Baby.
Lindsey Welch, a trained duola and owner of Lindsey Welch Photography, captured Abbey’s home birth photos — including an amazing photo of baby Nash nursing just above the placenta, the very lifeline that once united the pair. These photos show the raw power and connection between mother and child, not to mention the intimate journey of giving birth at home. The imagery of this water birth touched our hearts and, no doubt, changed the lives of Abbey and her family forever. After all, it’s the day her family of 4 became a family of 5.
More from CafeMom: 17 Home Birth Photos That Show the Beauty of Having Your Children by Your Side.
These photos of Abbey’s home birth are mesmerizing and show raw emotion. Anyone considering giving birth at home will definitely want to take a look.
Abbey experienced a couple days of prelabor that resulted in a spurt of contractions. It wasn’t until Mom and her family finished decorating their Christmas tree that Abbey’s water broke. Talk about Christmas coming early!
Moms might have to endure the emotional and physical demands of childbirth, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a community of love and support to help them along the way. Abbey’s husband, a certified nurse midwife, along with an assistant midwife — who happens to be a dear friend of Abbey — were with Mom every step. Abbey’s mother-in-law was also present to look after mom’s sleeping daughters.
Childbirth can be excruciating, uncomfortable, and everything in between. Yet, through it all, a laboring mother will find ways to manage the pain of giving birth and stay focused on what’s to come. “…The power that women exude during childbirth is like nothing else you ever experienced,” Lindsey tells CafeMom.
“Labor and birth are so focused and intense. Mom doesn’t [often] have a great memory of how things unfolded,” Welch adds. Every mother who has ever endured the ebbs and flows of childbirth can relate to this photo.
