While
is at the same time a completely beautiful part of life and a fairly gross and painful event, there is no denying the overwhelming emotions that come with
bringing in life to the world, knowing that the tiny screaming bundle of joy is something that they created.
But while we often hear and see images of mothers with their
, lovingly gazing upon their son or daughter, it's not often that we focus on the great emotion the father feels in the situation. Yet there are some photographers out there that have captured these important moments so that they last forever.
1. Overwhelmed by emotions
"There was so much anticipation and lead-up to this moment that when the time came, his emotions utterly overwhelmed him in the most precious and authentic way."
"As the pushing phase progressed, this first-time dad grew more and more excited to meet his daughter. As her head started to emerge, he repeatedly covered his face in wonderment and awe. Her first breath certainly took his breath away!"
"This baby's mom had just handed her to her father for some skin-to-skin ... and this sweet girl was clearly absolutely smitten! At less than two hours old, she was raising her head to look straight into his eyes."
"This mother had been laboring for about 12 hours at this point and was absolutely exhausted. She was entering into transition, so each contraction was getting even more intense. Mic, the father, leaned in to pull her in close as she came down from the last contraction, wiping her tears from her cheeks. It was truly one of the sweetest moments I've ever captured between a mom and dad."
5. Bringing new life to the world
"This moment! If any couple has really labored together, it was them. Watching them bring their son into the world and meet him for the first time was so moving."
6. Holding him for the first time
"This dad is holding his son for the first time, after waiting for his girlfriend to nurse and to have her time with the baby, skin-to-skin. Even though he was so patient, you could also see he was excited to finally get to hold his baby."
7. No chance of holding back tears
"There are those moments in life that you know will change you forever. And sometimes in those moments, you just can't keep it together!"
"This is the moment that this daddy, who is in the military, got to meet his boy — from oceans away. Sadly, the baby passed away three weeks after he was born, but his parents are always OK with sharing his photos so that his memory lives on."
"It was a long birth for these first-time parents, but the father not only encouraged his partner, he also talked to his baby throughout labor. It was beautiful to witness."
"A supportive moment in between contractions. The trust between these two is so obvious. It's one of my favorite photos."
"This dad was so shocked that the birth of their second baby happened so fast that it took him a few moments to realize what had happened. Even though you know you are about to have a baby, that moment is still so big and shocking!"
"This was this couple's first girl and their last baby. It was also their first home birth and it just all came together for them. There was so much love in the room. This baby is daddy's little girl for sure."
"This is a rainbow birth. This couple had several miscarriages and stillbirths. This mom wrote in a blog post on my site: 'My initial thoughts were: that hurt and I'm glad it's over. Then it hit me, he's here and he's alive. We are bringing a baby home from the hospital! Still seems like such a dream.'"
"Directly after a C-section delivery, the nurse placed these twin babies in their father's arms for the very first time. There was so much love in the room."
15. Admiration for what she's gone through
"Moments after watching his first child be delivered, this father tearfully gazes at his wife with such love and admiration."
"This dad snuggles with his girls as they welcome and get to know their new baby brother."
"He was cracking jokes to try to make his partner smile. When he held his baby, everyone in the room could see him falling in love in a whole new way and making plans for all the fun they would have together in the years to come."
"This new dad couldn't stop smiling at his beautiful new daughter. Immediately after birth, the three of them snuggled up together for hours."
These photos are beautiful and incredibly heartwarming, aren't they? You'd hope that a photographer can capture these wonderful moments for you one day, to keep the memory of this amazing day vivid throughout the rest of your life.
If you want to see another instance of a family's reaction to a new life being brought into the world, you should check out this emotional video of a young girl
