Unique moments through special photos.
Photographer Amber May has attended many births, not only in the ᴍᴀᴛᴇʀɴɪᴛʏ ward but also at home. With her lens, she has captured unique moments of couples when they welcome their baby into the world.
As she has written on her personal Instagram account, it is extremely important for her to get to know her future parents so that they feel close to each other. “My priority is for them to feel sᴀꜰᴇ with me before the birth. Communication and getting to know each other are the keys to a successful photo shoot.”
In her photographs, she emphasizes the feelings of women and their partners during childbirth.
True odines are recognized when the ᴄᴇʀᴠɪx is consistently ᴅɪʟᴀᴛᴇᴅ, that is, when it opens and there are ᴄᴏɴᴛʀᴀᴄᴛɪᴏɴs at regular ɪɴᴛᴇʀᴠᴀʟs. The first ᴄᴏɴᴛʀᴀᴄᴛɪᴏɴs are often called “false ᴄᴏɴᴛʀᴀᴄᴛɪᴏɴs” because they are mischievous and prepare the ᴜᴛᴇʀᴜs for the real, progressively growing ᴜᴛᴇʀᴜs.
These early ᴄᴏɴᴛʀᴀᴄᴛɪᴏɴs sᴛʀᴇᴛᴄʜ the lower part of the ᴜᴛᴇʀᴜs to make room for the ꜰᴇᴛᴜs and ꜰᴀᴄɪʟɪᴛᴀᴛᴇ ɪᴛs ᴅᴇsᴄᴇɴᴛ. They also soften the ᴄᴇʀᴠɪx but don’t ᴄᴀᴜsᴇ it to ᴅɪʟᴀᴛᴇ like normal ᴄᴏɴᴛʀᴀᴄᴛɪᴏɴs do. Tʀᴇᴀᴛɪɴɢ ʜɪᴠᴇs with sᴇᴅᴀᴛɪᴠᴇs can help your body relax, allowing the ᴜᴛᴇʀᴜs to function more effectively.
At some point, the short ᴄᴏɴᴛʀᴀᴄᴛɪᴏɴs are replaced by others that have a rhythm and a longer ᴅᴜʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ. These ᴄᴏɴᴛʀᴀᴄᴛɪᴏɴs ᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ᴄᴏɴᴛʀᴀᴄᴛɪᴏɴ in the upper part of the ᴜᴛᴇʀᴜs and sᴛʀᴇᴛᴄʜɪɴɢ in the lower part, leading to ᴅɪʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴ of the ᴄᴇʀᴠɪx. By this mechanism, the sᴛʀᴏɴɢ ᴍᴜsᴄʟᴇs of the upper part of the ᴜᴛᴇʀᴜs ᴇxᴘᴇʟ the ꜰᴇᴛᴜs through the ᴅɪsᴛᴇɴᴅᴇᴅ lower part of the ᴜᴛᴇʀᴜs.
