Photographer says 'c-section isn't giving birth' after refusing to work for a mother, sparks debate

Several mothers face complications during pregnancy and childbirth and require C-sections or other surgical methods to deliver their babies. At such a fragile time, the mom needs support and understanding more than ever. However, u/carlinha1289 shared the heart-wrenching experience a mom had when she was denied booking from a birth photographer because she was to have a C-section. He claimed that “It was not the same as giving birth.” The photographer’s heartless and careless response sparked a debate on the internet, calling out the cruel treatment mothers-to-be have to deal with due to tough pregnancy. 

Sge posted an image of a conversation between the mother and the photographer. The post was captioned, “The birth photographer says c-section isn’t giving birth and refuses to photograph them.” The image contained a glimpse of the exchange the mother had with the photographer. In the message, it was written, “I didn’t ‘opt’ for anything but alright. I had no idea birth photographers discriminated against people for how they birth their babies, but it’s good to know.” The mother was undoubtedly hurt by the conversation with the photographer.

To this message, the photographer’s reply read, “A surgery isn’t birth, my dear. You aren’t giving birth. You’re having surgery to remove your baby from your abdomen. That is not birth, no matter how you swing it and I, for one, don’t want to be there to take pictures of it.” It was not all. The photographer further remarked, “If you decide to give motherhood a go from the get and have an actual birth, let me know and we can schedule your session.” Another text seen in the image sent from the photographer’s end reads, “This motherhood job is hard. If I were you, I’d think twice about starting such a job by cutting corners so early in the game.”

While the idea of having to bring a baby into the world through C-section has its own trials a mother has to deal with and the photographer added to it with their demeaning mindset and conversation. The post received over 500 upvotes and viewers were not happy with the photographer’s comments. With over 150 comments there was quite a debate that sprung on Reddit. While many shared their experiences of injustice done by professionals, others pointed out the unprofessionalism served by the photographer. u/lachalupacabrita said, “If I refuse to make a coffee for someone, I get fired. Why is refusing to treat someone in any way more acceptable?”

u/redbess said, “Oh, okay, so I, my brother, and my sister are all unborn. I feel so fucking special. What an awful person, though.” Other users cited how vaginal birth has several complications for different people and rallied around the idea of C-sections being a measure for saving the life of the mom and baby.

u/lila_lilechtenstein said, “As someone who had an emergency c-section: F**k you sideways with a tripod, dear photographer.” Another user said, “I also was a C-section baby because of being in a weird position. My husband was a C-section baby because after like 24+ hours of labor, his heart rate suddenly started dropping rapidly and they had to get him out. Cutting corners all over the place!”