Grad Student Has Hilarious Maternity Photo Shoot with Her Thesis After “Longest Labor Ever”

Log onto any social media platform, and you're bound to see a bunch of baby-related posts. Whether you're looking at maternity photos or newborn shoots, these pictures typically feature expectant or new moms posing with their bellies or bundles of joy. On top of these traditional takes, however, you're also sure to see some creative interpretations, starring dogs, dads, and now a PhD thesis.

After four years, Sarah Whelan Curtis, a PhD Candidate at Emory University, finally finished her thesis on epigenetics. Given the time and energy it took her to “birth” her pride and joy, she decided to create her very own newborn photos, featuring everything you'd expect to find in such a shoot—except, of course, an actual baby.

Instead, the photos star a stack of papers, bound with paperclips, wrapped in a baby blanket, and lovingly cradled by Curtis. “Yes, I did a photo shoot with my thesis,” she captioned the trio of photographs. “Longest labor ever.”

After just two days, her photos have gone viral, garnering over 330,000 likes. As expected, many of the photo shoot's fans are fellow students who can relate to her feeling of elation. Some users even shared photos of themselves with their paper bundles of joy. And, of course, many people simply found the photos funny, offering their own advice about PhD parenthood. “So cute,” one user wrote. “Savour these early times. Later there will be citations all over.”

After PhD candidate Sarah Whelan Curtis shared hilarious photos of herself cradling her thesis, it was clear that other students could relate to the “longest labor ever.”

Some even posted pictures of themselves posing with their little bundles of joy, for better…

…or for worse.

And plenty simply went along with the joke!

Congratulations, Sarah!

h/t: [Bored Panda]

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Kelly Richman-Abdou

Kelly Richman-Abdou is a Contributing Writer at My Modern Met. An art historian living in Paris, Kelly was born and raised in San Francisco and holds a BA in Art History from the University of San Francisco and an MA in Art and Museum Studies from Georgetown University. When she’s not writing, you can find Kelly wandering around Paris, whether she’s leading a tour (as a guide, she has been interviewed by BBC World News America and France 24) or simply taking a stroll with her husband and two tiny daughters.
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