Guest Post: Should you Hire a Birth Photographer by TinyHumanNewbie

Should You Hire a Birth Photographer?

Are you pregnant and wondering if you should hire a birth photographer? Then you are in the right spot. I was in your shoes just about a year and a half ago. About 8 months pregnant, exhausted and trying to sort out the wants from the needs and on a budget to boot! When you are pregnant there are so many things that people try to force on you. They tell you all these things that you NEED to have! Your mom, mother-in-law, commercials, social media, Megan down the street... EVERYONE! Everyone has an opinion on what you should do. With Birth Photography being a 'newer,' thing I'm sure you have questioned:

• Is something you need?
• Is it worth the expense?
• Will it be weird?
• Will you even look at those pictures down the road?
• Is it something you and your partner even want or is it just on trend?

I wanna answer some of these questions and tell you a little about our experience and hopefully by the end of this post you can decided, Should You Hire a Birth Photographer?

Is birth photography something you need?

This is the question I am sure you are hung up on. Is this a want or a need? That is a tough question, obviously you do not need to have a photographer there to have a baby. BUT if you want amazing photos of your bundle of joy then you could justify that having a professional photographer there is way better than phone pictures taken by the nurse.

Is it worth the expense?

Look, I know money can be tight but if you decide you want pictures of this day you will pay the money. Birth photographers (from my experience) love what they do! They want to be there with families during their most precious moments. Lots of them offer payment plans and their prices vary. So, finding one in your price range should be doable. Keep in mind though it is an investment, what they do they are very good at. They are on call 24/7 for their clients so you are paying for them to be there day or night to take those photos and be a huge part of your life no matter what is going on in theirs.

Will it be weird?

My answer is no, for a few reasons.

• If you find a photographer you like you will enjoy having them there. It shouldn't feel weird.

I suggest looking around and really finding a photographer you jive with. They are going to be there for an intimate moment and if you are going to invest make sure you are comfortable with your photographer just as much as their photography style.

• You are so focused on meeting your baby that you are not really aware of the people in the room.

This goes for all the nurses, the doctor, everyone! If this is your first pregnancy just know, nothing else will matter to you but getting your baby into the world safely. Any embarrassment, shyness it all disappears I promise.

• You do not have to have any angles you don't want!.

So you only want pictures taken from above, you can have that. Don't want anyone in the action zone, you don't have to. These are your photographs. Any good photographer will ask you what you want and what you are comfortable with.

Basically, it is TOTALLY worth it...

Yes, in my opinion it is worth every penny! There are so many wonderful photographers out there for every personality, birth plan and momma. We used Stacey from Cincy Birth Photography. If you are in the Cincinnati area she's your girl!! She is also a doula which is a popular combo in the birthing community. These photographers not only capture your moments on camera but some of them are trained to help you through labor. How cool is that?! We loved having Stacey in both roles. Not only did we have someone capturing the whole event on camera but I also had someone there advocating for me. She was there to help me through labor, be my voice, reassure my husband through the process and take amazing photos! We absolutely love having photos like this to cherish forever.

You also have someone else in the room who will remember little details. When Stacey posted our sneak peak on Facebook she posted the sweetest caption of something that was said between Alex and I. I honestly do not remember this whole conversation.. I was a little busy. But these are the words that went with this photo: [caption id="attachment_655" align="aligncenter" width="468"] "Did you ever think you'd be having a baby with your prom date?" she whispered to him between contractions. (I may or may not have shed a few happy tears for this sweet couple).[/caption] What these amazing people capture is SO MUCH MORE than pictures! This quote is now part of this photograph. A small moment we may have forgot had Stacey had not been there with us. Having her there was everything for this day, the time before baby and after.

Is it something my partner and I want or is it just on trend?

It is a newer thing but it is one I am glad I am on board with. This is the question you now have to answer: Do you want once in a life time photos of your baby's birth? I do not for one second regret the money we spent to have these photos. I would not have these precious moments on film if not for Stacey! For that we are forever grateful. If you used a birth photographer, how was your experience? Are you glad that you chose to have someone capture your baby's birth? Let me know if the comments!

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Hi, I'm Lena, an elementary school teacher turned stay at home mom, and a newbie at raising tiny humans and blogging. There is so much about parenting that is beautiful, gross, wonderful and most of it is not talked about nearly enough. If you want to see how we are handling it with humor and coffee check it out all the honesty at Tiny Human Newbie.