Would You Have Birth Photos Taken?

Something I will cherish forever are the photos that were taken on the day Rooney was born.

There were so many emotions we experienced in Powell 624, and in such a short time (4.5 hour labor), our lives were changed forever. As soon as I found out I was pregnant, I knew I wanted photos taken of the entire journey - not just of my growing belly, but also all the emotions that we would encounter during labor and delivery.

Would I do it again? In a heartbeat. I love these photos. Not because I look great (I don't), but because they are real and are the very first photos taken of my daughter and our little family.

If you choose to have your birth photographed, I recommend following these three tips:

• Find the right photographer. I decided to ask a friend to take my birth photos. She has a side photography business and knows how to work a DSLR camera. I knew from her portfolio that she could do the job and wouldn't feel weird about seeing me...you know. Give birth to another human. She claims to this day that it was the most amazing thing she's ever been a part of. We've got a special bond now :)

• Black and white is usually the way to go. Hospital lights are not made the same as those in photography studios. Because of the lack of natural light, the photos are not super crisp, but they do what they were intended to do. Editing the photo to be black and white allows your eye to see what really matters: the raw emotion.

• Keep it clean. Of course, this is your personal choice, but none of the photos show too much of myself, if you know what I mean. Most of them are from my neck up. These photos are not displayed publicly in my home, but they certainly could be!

I was interviewed last week by a local television station about this exact topic (they actually got the story idea from a blog post I wrote), although my interview was cut out for time. You can see the video/article (mentions me at the bottom) here.

Would you have birth photos taken?

P.S. Read Rooney's birth story and see more photos here.