Who knew “Professional Birth Photographer” was a thing?

I didn’t know “Professional Birth Photographer” was a thing. But that didn’t stop the International Association of Professional Birth Photographers (IAPBP) from presenting some incredible photos from their 2017 contest winners. The winning photographs highlight “the struggles mothers go through to bring new life into the world, and the sheer joy that follows.”

Amen to that. Below is a sample of the winning photos. You can view all the winners at the IAPBP website.

WARNING: Some of what follows is NSFW. All of what follows is gorgeous.

Source: International Association of Professional Birth Photographers – 2017 Image Competition