The Motherhood Project: Part Five
Raleigh Motherhood Photographer
The Motherhood Project
A Year in the Life of Motherhood Project:
Part 5
3 days Postpartum
Well, I can barely forgive myself that’s it taken me so long to share this part 5. But in so many ways this series has inspired me more than I could have hoped. From meeting L. and her boys to capturing the raw beauty of motherhood on another level. This session was done right at 3 days postpartum after Hayes was born. We met right in the comfort of their home to capture the raw but beautiful first days of bringing a newborn home. The boys were down the street playing with friends in the rain or the pool (i can’t recall) and we were quietly capturing those precious nursing moments with mom, dad and their brand new son. When the 4 older boys came rushing in and excited to jump into the session but still covered in mud! L. and I made them chuck their dirty shirts to come and hold their brand new baby brother for the photo below. That photo has truly spread far and wide. It’s been published internationally and won awards at some of the biggest photography competitions in the world. But the story of how organically we pulled it together always makes me laugh :P
I’m so excited to now be offering these postpartum sessions full time. A raw look at those first days. I’m a brand new mom myself and still feel the visceral transition of the postpartum weeks. I remember the soreness in my belly and the joy in my soul when holding this little thing I had literally just made inside my body. You are sleepless and vulnerable even in your power and it’s that type of beauty and authentic motherhood that makes my artist's heart thrive. It’s similar to birth photography in that, there is no “dolling up” or “hiding” with these motherhood sessions. You are truly yourself in those first days and while tired and healing you are also becoming something so beautiful and strong. My postpartum days were a full-on transformation for me, I became a person who knew selflessness, patience, and sacrifice on a level I had never reached before.
L. is stunning and so confident as she handles not just a newborn but 4 older boys with pure grace and expertise. I’ve loved getting to know her and learn from her powerfully loving motherhood. I have been lucky enough to gain a little wisdom from the way she carries the weight of the world of 5 boys, like a really skilled juggler who never flinches. This session was by far my favorite from the project we did that year. But watching as the story unfolds is truly where the power and heart resides. If you haven’t already, you’ll want to take a look at the first 4 parts that start capturing L.’s journey at 18 weeks pregnant before you even scroll through these
You can find the story at the links below.
