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Intimate Photo Goes Viral for Quietly Celebrating a Nurse Who Helps Deliver Babies

By Sara Barnes on September 20, 2017

Birth photos are primarily centered around the parents and baby, but there's a whole side to this life-altering experience that isn't as well documented. What's often missing are portraits of nurses and doulas that act as a vital source of support before, during, and after the baby has arrived. One striking image—that has since gone viral—pays homage to the amazing staff who help bring life into this world. Shot by Katie Lacer, the photograph depicts an intimate moment between a nurse and a mother who has just given birth.

The picture struck a chord with Jill Krause, a writer and mom of four. She shared it on Facebook with a personal message celebrating doulas and nurses for their kindness and compassion in these challenging, but ultimately amazing, times. “The minute I saw that photo pop up in my personal Facebook feed, I was flooded with emotions,” Krause later remarked. “Each and every nurse was an angel.”

Krause’s post resonated with moms across the world, and many of them shared their own positive experiences with support staff. “My delivery nurse grabbed my cellphone without me asking and snapped pictures of my boyfriend and I when they first put the baby on my chest,” one woman said. “It was honestly one of the sweetest things anyone could've done for me that day. I'll always be thankful for that.”

Another mom recalled a story that epitomizes the passion that nurses and doulas have for their patients. “When I was pushing,” she wrote, “I'll never forget pulling my face away from my nurse's chest to see her scrub top SOAKED with my sweat and tears. I was like, ‘Oh my god I'm so sorry!’ And she went, ‘Baby, this is life all over my shirt. Nowhere else I'd rather be. Now let's get that baby out.’”

Read more heartwarming stories in the comment section of Lacer's photo. With over 7.5K comments, there are many incredible tributes to nurses and doulas.