Documenting a C-Section at Dianthus | Taipei Birth Photography

Birth photography is already so rare in Taipei, and on top of that, many people think that only “certain kinds” of births are fit to be documented. When people think of birth photography, the first place their mind goes is probably a beautiful, cozy home birth, or perhaps a water birth. They probably assume that birth photography, when not done at home, can only be done in a birth center such as Dianthus in Taipei or Loving Care in New Taipei City. However, with just a little pre-planning and permission from the OB, I can document births at a regular hospital, and I am now happy to say that C-section births can be photographed as well!

The images below are from a C-section birth I had the privilege of documenting at Dianthus in Taipei recently. I doubt other hospitals would be so open to a photographer in the OR; Taiwan is pretty strict about such things, and hospitals outside of Taipei usually don’t even let the father in the OR. I’m happy that Dianthus is here to offer a holistic, evidence-based model of care for birth in Taipei, and I’m especially grateful to the doctor and anesthetist of this birth for being open-minded enough to consider the importance of documenting a family’s birth story. Obviously, my role as the photographer isn’t as much of a priority as the doctor and nurses, but if there’s no reason not to, why not allow a family to capture the precious, never-to-be-repeated moment of when their child joined their family?

The birth in the images below was beautiful to behold. This family wasn’t planning for a C-section, and the love and partnership I witnessed as they pivoted and navigated the unknown was one of my favorite stories I’ve ever photographed. Also, their little one broke a few records for weight—I’m glad I got to document this as well!