Filming/Photographing Your Baby's Birth

I have a regular camera there for photos of the baby after birth (first moments of life) but did not try to film or photograph their actual birth. There is no reason to film that...it is a beatiful moment but not to view!

I had someone take pics my 1st 2 labors, but my fiance video taped the 3rd... and the video was so shakey because he was SO nervous, we have it taped forever that I kept asking him if HE was okay, I'm all smiling and laughing, and the doctor told HIM to sit down, LOL!! Now, it's funny forever :)

I had 4 C Sections. We didn't use a video camera, I never had the desire to. We did take a regular camera in each time though. We even got a shot of each of them ***GROSS ALERT*** being pulled out of my belly. Those pictures are some of my most treasured photos. With my last child, they are even more special to be honest. He was a complete surprise to us in every possible way. He was not planned, and was conceived when my 3rd was only 9 months old. The older 3 were girls and we knew with each of them before they were born. With the fourth (our last), we decided to wait to find out. My doctor is female and all of the nurses and surgical team were women. The only men in the room were my husband and the anesthesiologist. Right before my son was born, the anesthesiologist took the camera from my husband (both of them were on either side of my head), and started taking tons of pics. He captured my husband and I looking at each other as they told us "Its a boy!" Absolutely priceless!

We had a digital camera with a NO CROTCH SHOT policy, and my mom was the only one in the room besides my husband and I, so I trusted her to only take family appropriate pictures.

Probably the main reason we didn't have a video camera in the room was because when I was in high school (12 years ago) my best friend had a baby and had our whole "crew" in the delivery room along with her mom, her brother (eew), and her dad. Her dad video taped (double eew) and we watched it a few days later. It was literally a shot of nothing but her spread eagle crotch in stirrups. No one else in the room, not her face, her boyfriend (now husbands) reactions, nothing. Just vag. I was scarred for life.

Yes, I have a complete video of birthing baby #2. And I had requested a NO CROTH SHOT too - but that didn't happen.

So naturally when I viewed the birthing video a week or so later, I just moaned b/c my dad and step dad were in the room too. That video as far as I know is lost in the archives and no, we don't watch it.

I had zero desire for a video of that event... I ended up with an emergency c-section and our hospital wouldn't allow videotaping, so it was a moot point anyway.

We had talked ahead of time about the fact that I really didn't want any pictures during delivery. What do you do with them? I certainly wouldn't show anyone. My mother had pictures when I was born. I looked at them when I was old enough to understand and it really wasn't "magical", but the picture of her holding me at 2 minutes old is still on my dresser. She has the picture of my holding my son (hour old) on their dresser at home b/c those pictures have such joy and pure love- no need for the "crotch shot".

My mother and husband were with me during my labor and delivery and after my son was "cleared" my mom and MIL took a bunch of pictures of him in the hallway being wheeled to the nursery with my husband. For us, it was a very scary 20 minutes and the camera was not even thought of at the time, but even if it had gone "as planned" there wouldn't have been any "action shots".

Shoot - I wouldn't want that on Video! Had I video taped my first and then watched it, I never would have wanted to do it again! I think it's more beautiful the way I CHOOSE to remember it vs. the actual nitty gritty of it. If my hubby would've been aiming a camera at me it probably would've ended up in pieces on the floor!
We did take tons of pics right after the babies were born, the first time I held them, getting weighed in etc - you know, the cute stuff!

My sister took photos for me. She did her best not to get complete crotch shots lol I did NOT want it videotaped... I dunno, it's just weird to me! I certainly wouldn't put it up on Facebook either! I don't need strangers seeing that! lol I guess I'm just more private about it.

I think not allowing photographs is ridiculous. It is YOUR special day/moment with your family. Everybody should be able to take photos at whatever level they are comfortable with!

I had no desire for a video, and my hospital DID/DOES ban videotaping. Still photography is fine though -and we did take pictures of everything immediately after the birth, getting weighed -all of that. I did NOT want any photos of the actual giving birth process!

I am expecting my second baby in March and just took a hospital tour. They told us that photographs and video are not allowed during the delivery. After the baby is born, then you can take photos. I wonder if they don't want to allow videotaping because people have tried to use those videos in lawsuits when something goes wrong during delivery. Personally, I didn't have any videotaping at my first delivery. We have a few photos of my son as he was being born and I later edited them so you can't see anything too personal.

I didn't want a videotape of my delivery, and probably never will. I did want some pictures, but only of the baby, not of the actual delivery.

Just photos! I guess some small video clips would have been fun, but I was so out of it, I probably wouldn't have been nice to my husband, haha!

Hi, I have a great video showing when my son came to light...it is one for the sweetest memories I will ever have! It's kind of funny too, so very pleasant to watch, and there are things I said and did that I didn't even remember, so good to have them on videos. The first time I heard my baby's voice and what it sounded like...priceless in my book!

I don't have any pictures of my first delivery. My second delivery there were supposed to be pictures taken, but my MIL called me by my husband's ex-wife's name and hubby kicked her out of the room until I was pushing.

My third delivery was videotaped by the baby's father. I have never seen the video but from what I've heard, you can see me sitting on the birthing stool and the baby's mother's back. There are no shots of me from the waist down because the mother is the way.

My last labor and delivery went so fast no one was able to get pictures until I cut his cord. We were all working so hard to get my bedroom prepped and my bed covered, and then keeping me from pushing until my midwives arrived that we didn't think of getting any pictures of anything. The picture of my cutting the cord does show a little of "me." I have a copy of this picture and so does his parents.

I trust that my FIPs (former intended parents) don't show the pictures/videos of me that might be embarrassing, but I wouldn't know one way or the other.

I am not sure about natural birthing if they are banned. It depends but with a C-section they do not allow video anymore at least where I am.

There is NO WAY I would have let anyone take pictures or videotape my coo-coo-cachoo while I was having a baby. I just would not be comfortable with it at all.
And, I'm not sure they don't allow it because of potential lawsuits in case something goes wrong. Come on.....there's enough weird things and weird people on the internet.

If a person wanted it solely for personal use, fine...but who can really control what happens if it leaks out. Or is posted on facebook, for heaven's sake.

We took pictures after the baby came out and I was covered up.
That's just what I was comfortable with.

Just my opinion.

I had a professional birth photographer at my last birth, and those pictures are beautiful, and very tasteful. I'm having her back for the birth of my third this summer.

http://www.dfwbirthphotographer.com/home/

I am really surprised by so many of the responses. My doctor allowed my friend to video tape my daughter being brought into this world. It's was so beautiful and magical. I am sooooo glad I did it. Only best friends and my parents have watched it. Along with my husband of course. It is something I cherish. It was amazing and I am happy I am able to re live that precious moment.

When my son was born, we had no videos and we didn't have pictures until right after his birth. With my daughter, my mom filmed it from my shoulders while trying to avoid the yucky stuff. We did it because my husband was in Iraq at the time and we wanted him to be as involved as he could from 7000 miles away. I watch the video occasionally, but I would never show it to anyone else. I'm glad we did it, but I'm not sure I really like to watch it. I had a very easy childbirth (2 pushes) so it is pretty short, but it kind of makes me cringe anyway! A beautiful moment, but not one that needs to be relived on video.

I did not video tape any of my births, but did have my mom there taking pictures. There were no "actual" birth pictures...just right after. And my second two were C-sections...so no "gut" pictures...just right after.
I did not want a video tape. I know this will sound silly, but I just didn't want to see it! I would NEVER put a video tape of my chidlren's birth on FB..eww..no one wants to see that! But, I did put the pictures up!

I did not need video, but I would have been so upset if they didn't allow DD's first moments to be photographed, like the moment they laid her on my chest. I wish we'd gotten the nurse to photograph cutting the cord, but you don't think clearly sometimes.

I think it's about liability. They don't want people in the way or to be liable for anything photographed/recorded.

Personally, I think putting everything up on FB or YouTube for the world (because your friends did it??) is something else entirely. I do NOT need to see my friend's birth. Some people have no sense of privacy anymore.

I wouldnt want that on video, it's such a personal experience, not one to be used for drama and popcorn eating later.
I think I would be really uncomfortable with the hospital video taping it, my gosh!! Once things are on disk they become pubic eventually it seems.
I would just hate that!! Seems like it would make it hard on your labor knowing you were on film. But that's just me... and I'm old, lol. But I didnt want a camera when I delivered either, just shots after baby came out which is what I have.

I've only had c-sections. No video taping was allowed in the O.R. but I have beautiful still shots of my babies coming out of me via c-section. My sister had a vaginal birth, which I was present for. They told me and her husband to turn off the video camera the moment it was time to push...but still shots were okay. Personally, I think pushing a baby out, vaginally, is a very private thing and I wouldn't want THAT on video tape, nor would I want still shots of it either but from the side, it would be okay. I surely wish I had a video of each of my c-sections though. That would be totally cool. The still shots are incredible but video would be awesome! (my husband took the pictures and I told him to keep clicking. And he did!)