Childbirth is certainly hard work, a physical challenge, and involves sensations of pressure, fullness, tightening. And yet the strength that women find and tap into during childbirth ― a time when they’re at their most vulnerable, and when so much is at stake ― is an incredible, full stop.

As if giving birth weren’t incredible enough, these women helped deliver their own babies—and those magical moments were caught on camera.

These women took it up a notch by getting hands-on with their own deliveries. With the assistance of a doctor, doula, or midwife, these moms caught their babies as they emerged during the last minutes of labor, helping to gently pull them out and into the world.

These raw, intimate moments were stunningly documented by their birth photographers, who shared with us their thoughts as they witnessed the incredible love and strength of these women pour forth as they met their child for the first time.

Photo credits: LA & OC Birth Photographer

She has a lot of support around her, many hands, but she only needs herself. Mothers delivering their own babies is not new – we’ve been doing this for centuries. Yes, having a great support team around you is so important. And we are beyond lucky to be able to avail ourselves of medical care and support. But when it comes to that baby coming out, women have a very primal need to be the ones whose hands guide them into the world. It’s such a special experience, and Mama you have earned it. After all, you’ve done all the heavy lifting up until that point, right?

Photo credits: Vannessa Brown Photography

Oof, that feeling of holding your baby in your arms. There really is no other feeling like it in the entire world. For months, you dreamed of this very moment. You felt the kicks and flips and heard the heartbeat. You saw that squished little face and those fingers and toes on the ultrasound pictures. Every single second of your pregnancy has been leading to this moment. When you can finally take that baby in your arms and look at that face that you made. Everything else fades away in this moment. It’s truly and utterly magical, and you will never forget it.

Photo credits: Lyz Evans

Photo credits: Lyz Evans

The memory of lifting my daughter from my womb is forever etched in my memory. Eleven months ago, as I lay on an operating table surrounded by an incredible birth team, I reached down to my abdomen, grabbed under my baby girl’s shoulders, and with the guidance of my obstetrician I pulled her directly from my body to my chest. Pure magic.

Photo credits: Hawkes Bay Photographer & Doula

This is the gorgeous third babe of this dear family. Receiving her daughter into her own hands….welcoming her to life outside, bringing her up onto her chest. Such a powerful and precious moment to witness!

Photo credits: Simone’s Photography

Photo credits: Simone’s Photography

Gerri Wolfe said she was forced to make the decision to have a maternal-assisted cesarean after a complication developed at 36 weeks. “It was a very distressing decision I had to make,” she said. Upping the ante on her daring self-assisted delivery, Gerri pulled not just one, but two children out of her womb, giving birth to healthy twin girls, Matilda and Violet. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this wasn’t Gerri’s first birth experience. These were her 10th and 11th babies, so she knows a thing or two about giving birth.

Photo credits: Melanie Pace

The chance to capture the rawest, emotionally charged moments is what draws Melanie Pace to photographing births. “Mothers’ bodies are strong and capable of so much more than we can imagine, and witnessing that time and time again is so empowering,” she says. “Watching mother-assisted births like this feeds my soul with such goodness that can’t be found in any other area of photography that I do.”

Photo credits: Shelby Clowers Photography

“There are no other words to describe assisting your own childbirth other than magical,” says mom Shelby Clowers. “It’s truly a euphoric experience knowing your hands are the ones helping the moment you’ve been longing for. When you lift up your child and see him or her for the first time, you realize just exactly what you and your body are capable of.”

Photo credits: Kathy Rosario

Photo credits: Kathy Rosario

When Kathy Rosario found out that her friend and the fellow photographer were planning a home birth, she had to be the one to capture it on camera. “To me, there’s nothing more amazing than watching a woman give birth, and when it’s in the comfort of her own home it feels even more special,” Rosario says. “It was pure bliss and tranquility as we awaited the baby’s arrival. I have photographed quite a few births already, but nothing compared to the serenity of a home water birth. Mothers are the most amazing beings on Earth! Look at the priceless photo for yourself and see how incredible the human body can be.”

Photo credits: Ethan Avery Photography

Vasquez has photographed over 50 births, but she keeps her birth client count low, only accepting one or two a month. “There has to be a good fit between myself and each client, as I’m invited into one of the most personal and vulnerable moments in a person’s life,” she explains. “I am always honored and excited to be there.”

Photo credits: Monet Nicole

On Instagram, birth photographer Monet Nicole writes, “One of the many things that I love about the midwifery model of care is that the family is at the very center.” As you can see by this mama, she has a circle of love and support as she welcomes the baby to the world!

 Photo credits: Lindsey Eden Photography

This mama listened to her body, riding the waves of emotion, embracing the unknown, and trusting her intuition. Simultaneously birthing her daughter, a mother was born. Sometimes the best-laid plans (twinkly lights, affirmations, pool surrounded by plants) fall to the side and you have your baby in the hallway.

Photo credits: Marcos Paulo L. Souza

That moment when all the hard work was more than worth it. I know I’ve said it so many times already, but really, the emotion on a mother’s face at the very moment the baby is out is hard to describe. Mothers delivering their own babies experience this and so much more. The moment you reach down and feel the head, then the shoulder, then have enough space to wrap your hands around their little torsos and help guide them out. What an amazing feeling! What an amazing FEAT. And then it’s just pure joy. The pain subsides almost immediately, and you’re just left with this moment, this pure joy.

Photo credits: Vannessa Brown Photography

In this photo by Vannessa Brown Photography, you can see this baby pushing its way through the water, which is a reminder of how gentle water births can be. Though mom looks like she’s in pain, you can see her guide the baby out and into the world. Good work, team!

Photo credits: Carley Valikoula

Photo credits: Carley Valikoula

The remarkable moment a nurse delivered her own baby girl – while in hospital for a C-section – has been caught on camera in a series of snaps. Rather than leave it to doctors, Carley Valikoula, 36, reached down, put her arms around her unborn daughter Leilani and literally pulled the infant from her own womb. “I would 100 percent do it again,” the mum reveals after her surprising experience. “I’d been excited at the idea of a natural birth. I never thought I’d be in the position of needing an emergency cesarean.”

Photo credits: Birth Without Fear

Birth always has been and always will be the most unpredictable and magical experience a woman will ever experience. You can feel all these emotions here. So powerful. This position is so great for mothers delivering their own babies. Obviously, there are circumstances in which a mama can’t move freely during labor and delivery. But if you have the chance to do so, take it! Listen to your body, and change positions as your needs and desires change.