While Kim Guiley was expecting, she was certain that the second child would be a girl. So when she gave birth to a baby boy, she and her husband, Travis, were shocked.
Birth photographer Susannah Gill captured the moment the Guileys learned the gender of their child. Looking at the pictures, one can only describe the expressions on their faces as priceless.
Because there was so much going on, Gill said it was a “big period.” It had been a very long night, and it was about five in the morning.
In July, Kim gave birth to her first child at her house in Santa Cruz. According to the photographer, the midwife told them that they would have to go to the hospital shortly before the delivery since Kim’s tailbone appeared to be obstructing the baby’s passage.
Kim got to her feet as her husband and the birth team got ready to leave. At that moment, she sensed the baby coming and started pushing right away. She suffered a broken tailbone while giving birth to her baby.
“I was in excruciating pain,” Kim said. But he was definitely worth the effort, I must say.
The photographer said that because Travis and Kim agreed not to know their baby’s gender in advance, the surprise was “incredibly thrilling and emotional.” Kim caught a glimpse of the baby after the midwife brought it to her while it was covered in a blanket.
According to Gill, the mother, who also has a 3-year-old daughter named Hazel, was taken aback by the baby’s gender. She claimed that because her tummy was protruding in a manner reminiscent of that of her first pregnancy, the mother was certain that the child was a girl.
Kim justified her actions by saying, “I work as a nurse, so I should absolutely know better than to take a wild guess. I believed it to be a girl for all these stupid reasons and feelings.”
Kim also thinks that in order to avoid disappointment, she persuaded herself that baby was a girl. She said, “I wanted to have the experience of parenting both a boy and a girl as a parent because I grew up in a home with one girl and one son.”
The mother had felt a huge sense of loss and despair when she had a miscarriage in June 2015. “With this pregnancy, I had the general mindset that I’d be thrilled with a healthy baby,” she continued.
Kim’s pregnancy was difficult despite this since she had hyperemesis gravidarum and needed to be hospitalized for IV fluids. The woman made the decision to have just two kids as a result. She said, “I knew I couldn’t do it to my body or my family again.”
The Guileys’ struggles only heightened their enthusiasm and feelings upon learning they were having a child.
“The conclusion of our losses and struggles,” Kim said, “was learning that we had a healthy baby boy. The fact that this would be our last child made it even more meaningful.”
According to the mother, Kim and Travis started “cracking up” when they saw Gill’s photos from that unexpected event. “We laughed so hard we couldn’t stop.” I can’t believe my face has that kind of power. I doubt that I could replicate that expression, even if I tried!
She stated, “The picture makes me laugh because it shows how much I can talk myself into things. I was so confident I was having a girl that it felt like someone had informed me directly.”
Kim and Travis have enjoyed having the chance to revisit the event and tell others about it.
Gill’s powerful delivery photos went popular on Instagram this summer because to accounts like Birth Without Fear. However, this week they gained popularity once more on multiple social media platforms after being mentioned in a number of birth-themed accounts.
Gill stated her wish that others would be moved by the beauty of home births and birth photography through her images. She added that birth photography is more about capturing beautiful moments than it is about getting all the nasty aspects, saying, “I believe it’s a really special occasion to have captured.”
The photographer also emphasized her desire for more couples to be motivated to postpone gender-disclosure of their unborn child. She continued, “I feel like people find out the gender of their baby just to find out the gender of their baby.
There are so few surprises left in our world. But there is something incredibly beautiful about waiting. I think nature intended for it to be that way. Also, it’s a lot of fun”.