There is no ᴘᴏsɪɴɢ during a 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡. Birth photography is the ultimate in documentary storytelling, and there are so many aspects you can capture. It’s all about the small details, and emotions, the ᴘᴀɪɴᴇᴅ ᴇxᴘʀᴇssɪᴏɴs, the laughter between ᴄᴏɴtʀᴀᴄtɪᴏɴs, and the emotional text messages received. The supportive partner, the shoulder massages, holding hands, and leaning on each other for support.

Thanks to the activism of women like Katie Vigos of the Empowered Birth Project, Facebook, and Instagram stopped removing posts of ᴄʜɪʟᴅʙɪʀtʜ and ʙʀᴇᴀstꜰᴇᴇᴅɪɴɢ mothers late last year. Previously, the social media ɢɪᴀɴts considered 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡 photos too ɢʀᴀᴘʜɪᴄ and in violation of their policies ᴀɢᴀɪɴst ɴᴜᴅɪtʏ. But Vigos (and the more than 23,000 people who signed her Ϲhange.org petition) believed that by ᴄᴇɴsᴏʀɪɴɢ ʙɪʀtʜ, the platforms were reinforcing the sʜᴀᴍᴇ, stɪɢᴍᴀ ᴀɴᴅ sᴏᴄɪᴀʟ tᴀʙᴏᴏ around it.

Vigos said: “You either allow 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡 to exist on your platform, or you don’t. The petition is representative of our much bigger ᴍɪssɪᴏɴ to empower ourselves as women—whether it’s about our ʙᴏᴅɪʟʏ ᴀᴜtᴏɴᴏᴍʏ, our ability to 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡 with informed decisions and support, ᴄᴇɴsᴏʀsʜɪᴘ ᴏꜰ ᴏᴜʀ ʙᴏᴅɪᴇs, tʜᴇ ᴅᴇ-stɪɢᴍᴀtɪᴢᴀtɪᴏɴ ᴏꜰ ᴍᴇɴstʀᴜᴀtɪᴏɴ.”

Today, a quick search of the hashtags #𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡isbeautiful or #𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡withoutfear brings up hundreds of images of babies making their entrance into this world. We rounded up over 12 of the most stunning images of 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡 from some of our favorite photographers to show the power of capturing the moment.