Who takes the pictures?

[split_shank]

This is completely random, but I didn't know where to post this while still being in the preggo thread but knowing the new mommies would know the answers, so here goes. During/after delivery, who takes pictures for you? Does DH get the job? Or will a nurse do it? I don't want to bother them, but there are moments that I'd love to have captured with both of us, instead of, ok you take one of us, then we'll switch kind of thing. I'm not much for bringing in a professional or anything during my hour of glory, and would rather it stay just DH and me in the delivery room. Like I said, this is kind of weird but thats how my preggo brain works these days. Any ideas?

 

[KimberlyH]

My mom did, we didn't really discuss it, it just happened that way. My husband hates cameras, but would have done so had I insisted. My mom felt that she missed being in the moment because she was in charge of the camera but I didn't really care because it was my husband I needed fully present not her. I'm glad she was in the room when baby was born, and so thankful I have the pictures (even if some are a bit too personal!) because it happens so quickly and it's so surreal.

 

[Mara]

This is something I didn't even think about and I wish I had. G took a few pics of J while he was getting his procedures done and one of him fresh out, but that was about it til a few hours later. I really wish we had more images of him, the three of us after birth, etc. I would talk about it beforehand and if possible designate someone (aka if your Mom or someone else will be in the room). It was kind of chaotic afterwards so it was a total afterthought on 'oh get the camera' kind of thing.

Also I am a huge picture freak but G doesn't care about them, he prefers to remember by memory. So just make sure whoever is taking the pics understands they are important to you.

 

[Dandi]

I'm a nurse in an operating theatre, and we do heaps of caesarians, and vaginal deliveries too. As a matter of course we ask the parents if they have a camera and if they'd like us to take the happy snaps for them, of course if the mum is having a caesarian, daddy/support person isn't allowed on the other side of the drapes, therefore misses a bit of the action! If I'm not scrubbed I like to be the anaesthetic nurse. My role is to give constant support to the mum and dad/SO/support person, so providing that everything is going smoothly, we usually have enough time to take snappies. It's my favourite job when looking after new parents!

If no one asks you and there appears to be a free pair of staff hands in the room, don't hesitate to ask them! If they can possible take pictures for you they will, they'd be pretty used to it!

 

[ponder]

Our nurses were happy to take pics of my husband and the baby, but DH took most of the pics After DD was born. No pics were taken until DD was on the examining table, I did not want any shots/film of the actual birth. There is one fantastic shot of my DH holding our daughter for the first time and you can see my legs in the background with the doctor standing between them sewing closed the episiotomy. Oh, well .

 

[Nashville]

When DD was born, one of the nurses took all our pics for us, and we didn't even have to ask. She just grabbed our camera from the nightstand and started clicking away. She got amazing pictures and we were so grateful. My husband is crying harder than the baby was in all of them.

 

[Kaleigh]

The nurses we had were more than happy to snap pics for us. They were really great about it.

 

[Allison D.]

I wasn't in with my nephew's girlfriend when she delivered, but I was right outside the waiting room and was able to go in for a quick photo or two of my godson before they whisked him to the NICU.

She also knew I wouldn't take any photos that were overly revealing or unflattering.

I took a bunch of photos in the NICU an hour later. Since Mom didn't get to see him herself for almost two full days due to a few complications on her part, she was especially grateful to have the photos.