When giving birth, most mums don't try to capture the experience on film.
But when Sydney mother Jacqueline had her baby girl via C-section, she decided to video those stunning moments on her iPhone. Jacqueline then uploaded the clip to Facebook.
The video starts just before her baby's head is delivered. The mother then captures her baby's entire body coming out. She even turns the iPhone on herself, capturing her own lovely reaction.
While I found the video heartwarming, the story drew mixed reactions from readers when it was reported on Daily Mail today.
"A true symbol of the self obsessed - why would anyone want to film what should be a personal beautiful moment - the birth of your child," said one commenter.
Others wondered how she managed to capture the video without feeling squeamish.
"I saw the reflection of what was going on with my twins Caesar and even though I have a strong stomach for blood etc I couldn't look it was too much!" said another.
One commenter could see the merits in wanting the birth on film, but was perplexed as to why the mother herself felt the need to capture it.
"That is all very nice. However, this is the birth of your beautiful daughter. Get rid of your phone and enjoy the moment."
Plus there were those who wondered why she felt the need to share the video on social media.
But not everyone was critical of Jacqueline. One commenter leapt to her defence while scorning others' reactions, saying: "It is a beautiful thing, don't be so hateful."
Jacqueline's not the first mother to want to document birth from a mother's perspective. Photographer Lisa Robinson also made the news when she recently shared photos she took of her own labour and birth.
While I wouldn't have even been able to video or take photos of my children's births even if I wanted to (I was way too busy in the throes of labour to have calmly done such a thing), I can understand the allure of wanting such moments on film.
I mean, imagine being able to look at those heartwarming moments again and again, whenever you wanted to, knowing that you were the one who took that video?
And imagine sitting down with your child when they're older, and watching it with them?
But then I think about the actual logistics of having to film or take photos during the birth in order to get those moments. Doing so would mean looking through a lens at your own baby's birth.
To be honest, I never even considered filming my babies' births.
And I'm so glad I didn't. Because my memories of those times are among the most precious and vivid memories I have (even thinking about the moment I first saw my babies makes me smile).
That's not to say that Jacqueline - or Lisa's - experience was dulled in any way.
They both made conscious decisions to document their baby's births, and I'm sure they also treasure their memories of that time. Good on them for doing what felt right for them.
But personally, I think that if I was trying to capture the experience of my baby's birth on my phone, my memories of that time wouldn't be the same.
Did you film or take photos at your baby's birth? Or would you do it in the future?
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