Of all the photos I have of myself, my favourite is the one that was taken directly after the birth of my second daughter. I look tired and flushed, and my face is contorted somewhere between joy and totally overwhelmed. I certainly don't look beautiful. And yet, there is something beautiful about the picture.
The funny thing is that when I first saw that photo, I hated it. I was loathe to share it with anyone, and only did because it was the first picture of my daughter, who was so new to the world that she hadn't even had a chance to open her eyes.
Over time, I have grown to love that photo. So why the change of heart? One of the reasons is that the memory of the birth itself has faded. I remember being in the water, and while I know there was pain, I don't really remember it. My memory of the birth has become very positive. I would even call it serene – although I know that it probably wasn't.
There is no doubt that post-birth photos can have a powerful effect on women. But are they powerful enough to change the way pregnant women feel about their own impending labours? Particularly if they are anxious or fearful of what is to come?
Milli Hill, founder of the positive birth movement, certainly thinks so. Hill shared a photo essay capturing women with their babies the day after giving birth on her Facebook page last week, and was soon overwhelmed at the response. Women in their hundreds started posting their own post-birth photos, along with the hashtag #birthjusthappened.
In an article for the UK's Telegraph, Hill notes that the women who shared their post-birth photos all had the same motivation. "They disagree with the negative press that birth gets and want to challenge it, for the sake of other women," she writes.
It's true that birth gets negative press. When I spoke to Gabrielle Targett, author of the book A Labour of Love, she pointed out that there's an "epidemic of fear" associated with childbirth in Australia.
"[The fear of birth] is perpetuated by negative stories being shared by women; sisters, girlfriends, mothers, and it's further perpetuated by TV, social media and films," she says.
"It's no wonder women are terrified about childbirth when all they observe and hearing are negative and trauma associated birth stories."
So is it really possible that more exposure to post-birth pics could help shift the culture of birth fear?
Hill believes that post-birth photos are a form of activism, and just as breastfeeding selfies – aka 'brelfies' – have helped normalise breastfeeding, post-birth pics could change the way society sees childbirth.
"These images show women's bodies in ways that challenge both the cultural expectation of birth – lying on your back and having something 'done' to you – and the cultural expectation of women's bodies (passive, airbrushed and fake)," writes Hill.
She continues: "Women looking at these pictures report that they benefit hugely from being presented with this version of both birth and femininity. For so long, it was kept hidden. But it's now emerging thanks to the wonders of social media."
The reaction #birthjusthappened received was very positive, with many pregnant women telling Hill that the photos had made them feel better about giving birth. "I was dreading giving birth in two weeks time. But now I'm amazed to say I'm looking forward to it – I feel incredibly excited after seeing these pictures," said one woman.
Birth educator Lucretia McCarthy says that post-birth photos tell a very powerful story. "Birth photos show the connection between a woman and her partner, the rawness of labour, and the euphoria often seen straight after birth," she says.
McCarthy also notes that photos taken during labour itself can have a positive effect on women. This can be especially poignant for women who don't have the birth experience that they have hoped for. "It's always good for a mum who ends up in theatre to see pictures of how hard she worked. It can be very healing," she says.
But in saying this, McCathy has also highlighted a potential drawback of post-birth photos; women who have traumatic births might feel that photos of women glowing with post-birth euphoria are a bit of a slap in the face.
"It could definitely be hard for women who have birth trauma to look at pictures that show birth in a way they would've liked it to be," McCathy says.
There's no easy answer, but with the prevalence of social media and the rise of the selfie it's clear that post-birth photos are here to stay. If they can help mums like me reflect fondly on their own birth experience, it's got to be a positive thing. And if they can help reduce the culture of fear that surrounds birth, that's a pretty amazing added bonus.
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