A professional photographer has taken intimate shots of his girlfriend right from the moment she went into labour up until she had the baby at home, just to show people what home birth really looks like.
The photographer, Gustavo Gomes and his girlfriend, Priscila Bochi, decided that she would have the baby at home after they saw a documentary called O Renascimento do Parto.
The documentary explored the spate of caesareans and traumatic births being experienced around the world.
The new mother, Bochi, gave her lover a go-ahead order to take the photos which revealed the intense moments and emotions involved during childbirth, Metro UK reports.
They are optimistic that sharing their experience, will prove to other women that they don’t necessarily have to go to the hospital to give birth.
Gomes who took the photos and at the same time helped Bochi through her labour, said: “I’ve been photographing whatever happens in my life since 2009, so it was only natural photographing the birth of my first daughter.
“Besides being our personal story, we hope these photos can raise awareness about natural and home childbirth in Brazil.
“Our country has the highest caesarean rates in the World – around 50% of births in the public health system (SUS) and shockingly 87% in the private system.
“Most of them [are done] with no medical reasons, just because C-sections can be scheduled and are quicker for the doctors to operate.”
The photographer reassured that they welcomed a healthy baby girl who just turned two months old recently.
He further disclosed that that they ‘never felt helpless during the process with a doula, an obstetrician and a pediatrician’.
He added: “We hope that these photos can demystify natural and home childbirths and encourage future mothers to avoid unnecessary C-sections.”
He said: ‘Photographing the labor didn’t stop me from helping Priscila and being involved in the process.
“That’s the reason why I don’t have any photo of Violeta coming out – I was there to be the first to hold her when she came to light.”
Check out the intimate photos below. Click on any image to enlarge).
