That moment when you first gaze into the eyes of your newborn baby is unforgettable for most parents. Sydney photographers Bel Pangburn and River Bennett are capturing this moment for parents in the delivery room.
The two mothers created The First Hello Project with the intent of forever saving these precious firsts for the parents and their child.
In an interview with Australia Daily Mail, the photographers described the joy in their job, “We always feel so honored to be part of that moment in time. There is nothing quite like seeing a baby being born. It never leaves you.”
They have posted these beautiful images on Instagram. They hope that through sharing these photos, others will be reminded of the beauty of life. The First Hello Project has received incredible feedback from parents and families.
One mother wrote about looking back at these photos years after the birth of her daughter: “Seeing images of my daughter’s journey into the world after one month, one year, and now almost three years, I’m taken back to those moments and experience them in new ways. I am reminded of the strength I never knew I was capable of, the depth of emotion on my husband’s face, and that moment – the moment my little love looked up into my eyes and stole my heart.”
Both photographers are mothers themselves. Bel has a 2-year-old girl and River has three sons, according to the report. They said their own experiences in the delivery room have allowed them to put themselves in the client’s shoes.
“My first birth experience was a bit traumatic to be honest,” River recounted her story.
“I had severe high blood pressure (pre-eclampsia) which meant Zion was born prematurely at 30 weeks.
“Because I wasn’t allowed to see Zion due to us both being in separate parts of the hospital, the midwife had taken a Polaroid picture of Zion and came in and gave it to me.
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“That picture was everything to me. It was all I knew of my son until a few days later when I got to see him in person. I still look at that Polaroid picture today and I know how grateful I am that that midwife took that photo for me.”
Just as amazing for many moms is seeing the image of their unborn baby on an ultrasound screen for the first time. For some, their baby’s ultrasound image makes all the difference in the world. Many have rejected abortion after seeing their unborn child wave, smile or give a thumbs up over an ultrasound screen.
Birth marks a beautiful moment in a baby’s life, but it is not the beginning. Scientific evidence shows that every individual human life begins at the moment of conception. The powerful images of The First Hello Project are a beautiful tribute to the miracle of life just the same.
River and Bel described the beauty of birth: “We both have been known to shed a little tear of happiness once the baby is born. There is nothing quite like seeing a baby being born. It never leaves you and we often walk away feeling so privileged to have witnessed it. Life is so precious.”
