A mother's-eye view of giving birth: Mom photographs the birth of her own child as her husband held her legs back - and she insists ALL women should do it

  • Lauren Chenault snapped the magical moment her son came into the world
  • The 24-year-old New Yorker says she is 'shocked' by the reaction to the images
  • Lauren now says she would encourage all women giving birth to do the same

By Sarah Mooney For Mailonline

Published: 04:56 EST, 2 February 2017 | Updated: 08:50 EST, 2 February 2017

This mother was so keen to not miss a minute of her sons birth that she photographed it herself - and now insists all women should do the same.

Lauren Chenault, 24, pictured the magical moment her son Kai Arthur came into the world, with the help of friends and family.

New Yorker Lauren, who also has a one-year-old daughter Kailah, gave birth to Kai, who weighed 8lb 3oz, on January 31.

New Yorker Lauren Chenault, 24, pictured the magical moment her son Kai Arthur came in to the world

Lauren held the camera on her stomach for most of the birth and said she 'just kept pressing the button' to get the perfect shot

The photographer and stay-at-home mum gave birth to Kai on January 31

The photographer and stay-at-home mum said: 'I thought it would be such a cool idea to show other moms that you can do this type of photography yourself.

'I wouldn't have been able to do it without the support of my husband and my friends, Wendy, Lauren, Megan and Becca, who were there with me, they helped to hold my legs back, so that I would be able to hold my camera.'

Lauren held the camera on her stomach for most of the birth and said she 'just kept pressing the button' to get the perfect shot.

She added: 'I had one of my friends who told me to get my camera ready because he was coming, so I was able to get it ready.

Lauren with son Kai and husband Byron, right, with a group of friends shortly after giving birth

The photographer said: 'I pretty much had the camera resting on my stomach and just kept pressing the button and wasn't even looking'

'I pretty much had the camera resting on my stomach and just kept pressing the button and wasn't even looking, I was just hoping that I got the shot that I really wanted.'

After sharing her pictures on social media, Lauren said she is 'shocked' at the reaction from people and is even taken aback by the pictures herself.

Keen to document all aspects of her pregnancy, Lauren took this self-portrait weeks before Kai's birth

Newborn Kai is doted on by his older sister Kailah, days after Lauren gave birth

Kailah feels her little brother as proud mum Lauren looks on

She added: 'Looking back at the photos I can't believe I actually took those and that I grew a human inside me.

'A bunch of people said they would have rather witnessed the moment without a camera, but I got to witness it with both.

'While I was taking pictures I was also watching everything that was going on around me and just trying to hold the camera as steady as I could.

Sharing the photos online, Lauren says: 'I would encourage all women to do this'

'I would encourage all women to do this.

'It's an incredible thing in itself that we can produce a baby and manage to push it out, so why not be there to document it yourself also.' 

 

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