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30 Powerful NSFW Photos From The 2018 Birth Photo Competition Prove That Moms Are Badass
The International Association of Professional Birth Photographers (IAPBP) has announced the winners of their 2018 photo contest, and the powerful photos that they have judged to be the winners show the raw beauty and drama of childbirth, as well as the sheer joy that follows.
Last year's contest was extremely high in quality and emotion, and this year the birth photos competition delivers once again. Each image tells a story of labor pains, perseverance, relief, and joy. They document a new human's first moments of life and a family's first moment of unity. You can see the full list of winners here.
For a little background on birth photography we spoke to one of the finalists of the competition, Tammy Karin of Little Leapling Photography (Her photo is called 'Nurse Linda'). “This annual contest is a huge part of not just bringing awareness to a genre of photography. It plays a major role in this growing movement toward empowering women, improving our birth options, as well as inspiring us to dig deeper and fight for the types of births that are safest and best suited for our families and us,” she told Bored Panda.
“Labor is an incredibly difficult genre and most of us photographers get burned out from all of the on-call time. Few realize the level of commitment needed to not just show up at the right time, but to insert ourselves into the typically intimate environment without having any negative impact on the mother's progress. It's not just about standing in the right place at the right time; we must truly understand and respect the birth process.”
The genre is growing as more women become aware of it, but Tammy is aware that there is still a certain stigma and taboo around the graphic nature of many images. “I know most people in our culture are still not comfortable with it,” she told us. “But, birth photographers are not just going for shock and awe when they share detailed images of a baby emerging. I'd love to join that push for normalizing the sharing of those kinds of powerful captures. In general, our culture tends to sexualize everything and inject fear into the birth process.”
As such, we must warn you that many of the photos below are intense, graphic, and NSFW, so reader discretion is advised. While one day birth photography will undoubtedly become more mainstream and accepted, we are not quite there yet. Scroll down below to see these powerful and undoubtedly cool photos, and let us know what you think in the comments.
More info: IAPBB
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
First Place Winner: Stunning Siblings First Encounter
RELATED:
#2
Raw Emotion
stellermatt 7 years ago
this picture says so many things. but love is the most important thing it shows.
#3
Honorable Mentions: Nurse Linda
Bubblegum Witch 7 years ago
She helped this couple when the wife started giving birth in the hallway and couldn't make it to the delivery room. She helped deliver the baby IN THE HALLWAY.
CrunChewy McSandybutt 7 years ago
It happens more often that you'd think.
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Ellen Light 7 years ago
Babies come when and where they want. By the way...I've been trying to figure out what the little brown thing is by the dad's knee is. ???
Kristy Hughes 7 years ago
Hair clip. I have the exact one. Not comfy to lay on.
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Gillian Black 7 years ago
when I wants to come out I will come out and I dont care where or when so be ready to catch me
Angélique Villé 7 years ago
Spectacular photo, but I'm not too sure I envy the experience of this Mum. She probably rushed to the hospital, dead anxious about the baby being born in the car, in the street, in the elevator... and finally in that corridor with the lack of privacy it implies. Not terribly comfortable (not that childbirth is comfortable anyways, but still...), and so very stressful. Congratulations to her!
BusLady 7 years ago
The labor must be pretty quick when this happens. Or she waited too late to get to the hospital? Not being critical, it's just amazing that it happens like his.
TheKnightOwl 7 years ago
Babies can come out unexpectedly fast. My first two were 13 and 8 hour labour's respectively. My third was 45 minutes and one push, very fast. A friend had her baby on the kitchen floor, delivered by her 11 yr old son while he was on the phone to emergency services. Sometimes babies don't give you much warning.
Load More Replies... #4
Hello
#5
Brand New Toes
#6
Newborn-Licious
#7
Sealed With A Kiss
Jessica Temple 7 years ago
Just love to see Momma's breastfeeding their babies! Good work to mom and baby!
#8
Best In Category: Delivery, En Caul Baby Birth
TheKnightOwl 7 years ago
Like every other "luck" superstition, this is completely bogus. My uncle was born in the caul, and has had a pretty crappy life; a lot of it not his doing.
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David KH Wong 7 years ago
My first time ever to see a baby , still in placenta, from a C-section.
Joanne Medsker 7 years ago
This is called Born in the Veil, indicate physic abilities/spiritually advanced in many cultures
Agnes Jekyll 7 years ago
Many cultures believed that babies born with a caul would have the gift of second sight
#9
Love Does Not Divide, It Multiplies
#10
Best In Category: Labor, Nowhere And Everywhere
Kirsten Preston 7 years ago
Stunning record of a lot of emotions and pain. Though would have like it B/W, but that's just my opinion ;-)
EpicWolfandSparrow 3 years ago
That looks like the best way to give birth, it should be the only way
#11
Discovering The Love Chromosome
Indie_cloud 7 years ago
It's NSFW because if your boss leans over your shoulder and sees childbirth pictures he's going to wonder why you're looking at childbirth pictures.
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#12
Woman Power
#13
You Can Do This. I Love You!
#14
So Much Love
#15
Honorable Mentions: How Big
LittleGrayMouse 7 years ago
Bit sad that, besides the photographer, there are two others taking pictures... Guys, enjoy the moment!
serena 7 years ago
I'm very grateful that my family took pictures of my newly born child because I barely remember a thing, and otherwise would never have those memories framed right now.
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Anita Zelders-Faber 7 years ago
Nice picture. That look on the face of de mother is so Nice. 👍
Annah Doyle 7 years ago
the child is being weighed, measured and cleaned up, including dealing with umbilical cord to prevent inflection. I hardly think it is being left alone for pictures
Load More Replies... #16
Best In Category: Birth Details, Birth Of A Brother
Kiahna 7 years ago
Beautiful photo, but put the phones down and look him in the eye! People are watching their lives go by through screens.
Mylah Rose 7 years ago
Jesus. Again, it's a photo created to look like this to remember this memory. And you're also on your damn screen right now so stop being such a hypocrite!
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#17
A Surrogates Kiss
TheKnightOwl 7 years ago
Argh, breaks my heart though I know it's for such a good cause.
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#18
Honorable Mentions: Fist Bump For Mom
Jillian Shreves 7 years ago
Having my 3rd c section this June, I would do it with curtain down, but my partner would probably faint. There's nothing easy about it, and deserve so much more respect!
BusLady 7 years ago
They had to put me out. I had a horrible panic attack. I also had a bad reaction to to the shot. I was in labor 20 hours, and I was so exhausted, mentally and physically. I was afraid the baby would die. That was 39 years ago. It was very traumatic.
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A Sound Of Bliss, The First Cry
Aud Wey 7 years ago
Such a beautiful pic!! That first cry..... I have waited for it 4 minutes after the delivery, longest moment of my entire life!! Such a blessing when you finally hear it!!
Gigi Aure 7 years ago
Such a scary moment waiting for the first cry! My baby came out not breathing & I was so exhausted from the c section and focusing on not dying I whispered to my boyfriend "I cant believe hes not crying" A few minutes later they got him started up!
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Honesty Olishia 7 years ago
She looks so full of pride and happiness, I love it so much. By far the best.
Bonnie Alcorn 7 years ago
I was labor coach when my 16-year-old daughter delivered her first child. There had been on-going complications during labor (potential for C-section), which we tried to keep from her. The few minutes between birth and that first breath were harrowing. When that first cry came, I went down; luckily one of the nurses had anticipated that, and had a chair waiting to catch me.
Kate Swartz 7 years ago
That is the face of a woman who didn't have to push for 6 hours like I did.... and then finally after.... deliver another one. 36 hour labor from hell with my twins. I would have loved to have had a c section. My rant. She is beautiful and happy and I can relate to the delayed first cry.
#20
Colorful Life
Renate van Lith 7 years ago
I'm so happy that my photograph is published! You can follow me on www.facebook.com/renatevanlithfotografie or www.instagram.com/rondom.de.geboortefotograaf
#22
Into The Light
Barbara Baldwin 7 years ago
I feel sorry for the newbies leaving a dark environment and entering a glaring light one..
#23
Honorable Mentions: A Physiological Third Stage
#24
1642 Days Of Wishing
Me 7 years ago
The title makes the picture so much more intense.. how I hope I will get to this point, too
Charlotte Brine 7 years ago
That's a hella long pregnancy!!! (No that wasn't a serious comment.)
#25
Free
#26
The First Embrace
Indie_cloud 7 years ago
Is the baby meant to be that colour? I wonder if their joy is also relief?
Claire Auerbach 7 years ago
It's called Vernix caseosa, some babies are coated in more of the substance than others. It's totally normal though.
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Veronica Kouwenhoven 7 years ago
Babies are covered in a white fatty substance while in the womb. It is called vernix. In babies that are full term or slightly over, there is not much left of it usually. But if a baby is born two or more weeks early it sometimes is covering the entire baby.
Mylah Rose 7 years ago
Seriously, this is a photo competition, they wouldn't have included a photo of a dead person. Also yes, babies come out all sorts of colours, they've been in a sac of fluid for months, they have to get cleaned off. Educate yourself.
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#27
Goddess Of Life
Dian Ella Lillie 7 years ago
The placenta is an organ that arises from the development of the embryo and that implants into the uterine wall, and its physiology is astonishingly complex. But given that half of the placenta's DNA comes from the father, it might be more accurate to say 'god/goddess of life'...
Pragya Fating 7 years ago
It doesn't exactly comes half from father, since embryo has already been formed( which is half ovum and half sperm dna). When placenta forms it has two sides , one maternal and one fetal. So it's half from mother's side nd half of fetus( the unbreakable connection between the mother and child). Though the nutrients and the building blocks of placenta are all derived from the mother's body. So nutrition wise it is all mother.
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Lizz Lor 7 years ago
So do some people...you can have it cleaned and dehydrated and then put into capsules. It helps the mother get back nutrients lost during pregnancy and is thought to help prevent post partum
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Katsudina 7 years ago
That must be NSFW bit, I guess. I don't like looking at bloody things, even if there is miracle of life behind. Heart, blood and other organs and human body are amazing, and how complex these systems are, but I just don't like seeing this. Nope, not for me -)
TheKnightOwl 7 years ago
This organ is also amazing. It is quite complex, and every single one of us relied on its existence at one point. Just because it's discarded after it's use does not make it any less important than any other organ.
Load More Replies... #28
Shhh, Brandnew Love, Shhh
#29
Honorable Mentions: Labor By Candlelight
That Fat Mouse 7 years ago
This is such gorgeous photography. But, can someone explain why child birth is NSFW? It is a beautiful moment in life that should be cherished, not labelled as something gross to look away from if you see it in a Bored Panda article.
#30
Honorable Mentions: Birthing Waves
Add New Image
What do you think ?
Hans 7 years ago
Many of these feel almost too intimate to me, nothing I personally would share with the whole world. But, surely, neither of these are (or should be) NSFW. After all, these are about absolutely naturalevents and the starting points of great journeys!
anarkzie 7 years ago
Most things considered NSFW are natural events sex, death etc
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Tua Xylanthia 7 years ago
Childbirth is magical, but is anyone else also freaked out by it? I mean we are in this warm, cozy, safe place for 9 months and then all of the sudden we are pushed out through this tiny space, we encounter humans for the first time, they are giants in our eyes, they grab us with their gigantic hands, their voices are loud, we see colors for the first time, everybody is starring at us and everything is just so overwhelming and new. I can't stop thinking that we cry as babies because we are in the state of terror, just thinking wtf is this s**t, where am I, what is happening. I also realized I have way too much time to overthink things, which also freaks me out. :D
Random Panda 7 years ago
Our biology teacher said babies cry because using your lungs for the first time is painful. Made sense.
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nek0kitty 7 years ago
Its just because it is somewhat graphic to some people, which makes it not suitable for most work or professional environments. Like, even images of severe accidents or natural disasters are tagged as nsfw
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Elena Adams 7 years ago
Is rated NSFW because I'm literally in tears right now. They warned, I didn't listen. Now I have to show these to my boss.
Hans 7 years ago
Many of these feel almost too intimate to me, nothing I personally would share with the whole world. But, surely, neither of these are (or should be) NSFW. After all, these are about absolutely naturalevents and the starting points of great journeys!
anarkzie 7 years ago
Most things considered NSFW are natural events sex, death etc
Load More Replies... Tua Xylanthia 7 years ago
Childbirth is magical, but is anyone else also freaked out by it? I mean we are in this warm, cozy, safe place for 9 months and then all of the sudden we are pushed out through this tiny space, we encounter humans for the first time, they are giants in our eyes, they grab us with their gigantic hands, their voices are loud, we see colors for the first time, everybody is starring at us and everything is just so overwhelming and new. I can't stop thinking that we cry as babies because we are in the state of terror, just thinking wtf is this s**t, where am I, what is happening. I also realized I have way too much time to overthink things, which also freaks me out. :D
Random Panda 7 years ago
Our biology teacher said babies cry because using your lungs for the first time is painful. Made sense.
Load More Replies... nek0kitty 7 years ago
Its just because it is somewhat graphic to some people, which makes it not suitable for most work or professional environments. Like, even images of severe accidents or natural disasters are tagged as nsfw
Load More Replies... Elena Adams 7 years ago
Is rated NSFW because I'm literally in tears right now. They warned, I didn't listen. Now I have to show these to my boss.
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