Every year, birth photographers around the world capture ᴇxǫᴜɪsɪᴛᴇ images. In some ways, the moments are so small, like a woman ʀᴏᴀʀɪɴɢ through a ᴄᴏɴᴛʀᴀᴄᴛɪᴏɴ or the first time a mother locks eyes with her new baby. But in other ways, they are monumental. A few seconds or minutes pass, and suddenly, families are forever changed.

Here, via Birth Becomes Her and Canadian Birth Photographers, are 29 of the most moving birth images from the past year.

“Just moments after ᴅᴇʟɪᴠᴇʀɪɴɢ her first baby on her knees, this mama was thinking, ‘I actually did it! He is finally here!’”

“The strength and power mothers possess as they bring their babies into the world is unimaginable. You can see the ʀᴀᴡ ᴘᴏᴡᴇʀ as this mama ʀᴏᴀʀs her baby ᴏᴜᴛ.”

“She’s here!”

“A dads’ first moments with his son.”

“This baby girl came so fast, the birth team didn’t have time to finish filling the tub!”

“This mother holds her newborn baby who — after years of ʜᴇᴀʀᴛᴀᴄʜᴇ — was delivered by her ‘angel sᴜʀʀᴏɢᴀᴛᴇ.’”

“This sweet girl was so alert and eager to see the world just moments after birth!”

“I cannot even begin to describe how empowering this birth was. The dad welcomed his daughter into the world by ᴄᴀᴛᴄʜɪɴɢ her and being the first person she ever touched or laid eyes on. These are the moments the world needs to see!”

“It takes a village to welcome a baby.”

“Sᴋɪɴ-ᴛᴏ-sᴋɪɴ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴀᴄᴛ after birth, a beautiful and peaceful moment after all the excitement and hard work.”