An emotional photo of the moment mom hugged her older child before giving birth as a goodbye touched parents online.
When mom Nikki Colquitt gave birth to her third child in 2016, Laura Paulescu, a birth photographer was on hand to document this great experience. While the mom was in labor, Paulescu captured this beautiful moment and then she shared with her then-youngest child before welcoming a new baby into her family.
Nikki Colquitt was married to Denver Broncos punter Britton Colquitt, and at the time she gave birth, the couple was parents to 4-year-old Nash, 2-year-old Everly and 7-month-old Isla. The mom shared the story behind her viral birth photo.
She said: “The photo was taken during labor with my daughter Isla, just before my older two went home to spend the night with their grandmother,”
“In that moment my daughter Everly, had taken a break from bouncing around the room (literally, on one of those birthing balls) to climb on the bed. I can just hear her saying ‘hold me mommy,’ so in that moment I took the opportunity to savor holding my littlest before I had a new ‘littlest.’”
“It’s such a strange phenomenon in motherhood to feel guilty or sad saying goodbye to one baby as you are so excited to be introduced to another,” Colquitt continued. “I always ask myself if I gave my youngest child enough time as ‘the baby’ before having the next baby.”
The photo has made the viral when several parenting-themed sites shared the image on social media. Colquitt said she believed the image has resonated with so many viewers because this feeling of goodbye is universal for parents who have multiple kids.
Photographer Paulescu echoed her client’s sentiment. She said: “Holding your ‘little’ one so close one last time, before they aren’t the little one anymore,”
“That’s a moment that stays with you forever ― the gut-wrenching mixture of overwhelming joy, coupled with heartbreak letting your ‘baby’ go, and scared every time as you wonder how your love can grow even more.”,
The photographer at that time also had two children of her own and she added that she feels “honored” to have been able to capture that moment.
“Every mother of two or more children has had this moment, whether it’s a kiss on their forehead in the dark of night, a final tearful hug before leaving the driveway for a scheduled induction, or a last snuggle in the hospital bed before they leave with grandma,” she said. “No matter how it happens, the feeling is the same, and seeing this moment frozen in a photo brings you right back to how that felt.”
Both Colquitt and Paulescu said they were blown away by the response to the photo and enjoyed reading stories from other moms in the comments sections.
Colquitt said.: “I hope this photo reminds people of love in its purest form, love from a mother,”
“I appreciate the bond that us mothers have. I love that this photo has brought so many mothers together to share their own experiences.”
Paulescu continued , “Giving birth is so much more than ‘THE MOMENT’ when a baby is born ― it’s a whole beautiful mess of hellos, goodbyes, joy, sadness, sacrifice… and love that overwhelms you more than anything in your entire life.”
Paulescu’s website and Facebook page also captured more beautiful moments from baby Isla’s birth (including a birth film).
Source: https://www.huffpost.com/
