Birth Pictures

Birth pictures really should begin long before you go into labor. By all rights, birth pictures should begin while you are still at home with your loved ones.

Birth is a Process

Birth is only one small step in the process of making a baby. The pregnancy is just as important as the actual birth. Therefore, for the birth pictures to truly tell the story, picture taking should begin at home, while you have your family around you. It should include shots of the nursery preparations, packing for the trip to the hospital, prenatal visits, and even pictures of both mom and dad talking to the baby’s siblings about the new addition.

Sibling Birth Pictures

A great way to get children involved in the birth of the new baby is to give them disposable cameras. While you have an adult taking the picture you really want captured, the siblings can get pictures of family and friends gathered together, nervously awaiting the new arrival. The focus of a child is much different than that of an adult, and you may get pictures you never would have thought to include, especially upshots of younger children who may think to take a picture of the supplies under the baby’s bassinette long before they think to take a picture of the baby!

Waste the Film

One of the most common mistakes amateurs make when taking birth pictures is they do not have enough film on hand; and therefore, tend to take fewer pictures as they try to wait for the really important shots. In truth, some of the most important birth pictures cannot be planned out, they just happen, and you have to be ready to capture them. Take along more film or memory than you think you will need and even an extra camera if possible. That way, if you run out of film, the memory stick is full, or the disk is full during an action-filled moment, you will have a back up camera loaded and ready to go.

Instant Access

It is easier than ever before to share your birth pictures within hours of the birth. Places like Walgreen’s invite you to upload your pictures, then email friends and family that the pictures are available. Even if you friends and family do not have a computer, they can visit their local Walgreen’s and order prints, which can be ready in as little as an hour. Your loved ones with a computer can view the pictures online and print them out at home, making the process even easier.

Hospital Policy

It is a good idea to check with the hospital or birthing center about their policy on taking pictures of hospital staff. While it is always nice to catch a shot of the nurse or doctor holding your newborn, it is not always legally possible. Use of flash photograph may also be restricted, and if a c-section is necessary, you may find out cameras are not allowed in surgery.

Don’t Forget Dad

When taking birth pictures, do not forget dad. While mom may have had the pleasure of weeks of feeling the baby kick and roll, this is his first chance to actually have physical contact with his child.

• Winter Maternity Clothing
• Maternity Polo Shirts
• Summer Maternity Fashion
• Gender Selection and Conception
• Conception Myths

• How Soon Can I Take a Pregnancy Test
• Natural Ways to Induce Labor
• How to Conceive a Boy
• How to Conceive a Girl
• Early Pregnancy Symptoms

• Birth Sign
• Birth Stories
• Birth Certificates
• Twins Birth Announcements
• Birth Stones