**sensitive topic** Stillborn photography

**Heaven** · March 10th, 2008, 05:17 PM

I'm sorry, this topic may be distressing for some and I wasn't sure if I should post it or not. It's upsetting but I also think it's beautiful.
I never knew that organisations like this existed and I think the volunteer photographers must be just beautiful compassionate people.

Now I lay Me Down To Sleep - ~Infant Bereavement Photography~

It's an organisation that arranges to have volunteer professional photographers come to hospital after a family loses a child so that they can have photos of the baby to remember them by. They have beautiful photos and the photographers aren't paid at all. I have never heard of it at all and I'm not sure if there are other places like it but I thought I might post it so more people knew about it.

**visitor1** · March 10th, 2008, 05:22 PM

How nice and thoughtful. That truely is a gift for parents to reflect on their lost angels.

**Trish** · March 10th, 2008, 05:33 PM

It is a gorgeous idea. I am in the process with a photographer of starting up a non for profit business doing a very similar thing. We will be doing photographs of stillborn, premature babies and terminally ill babies. All for free.

As hard as it is, sadly there is a need for such a business. My only hope is that I never have to visit any of my BB friends.

**Heaven** · March 10th, 2008, 05:35 PM

Wow Trish, that is an awesome thing to do.

**Rach75** · March 10th, 2008, 05:48 PM

there is a group of photgraphers mostly melbourne based who do this my friend is one of the I suppose head roganisers would be the name they also do pictures of children with life threatening illnesses cancer etc, they donate their time

**Ozstar** · March 10th, 2008, 05:55 PM

I think it is a beautiful thing to do. The lady who did my DS's hand and feet cast also does casts for stillborns.

**Olive** · March 10th, 2008, 05:59 PM

when my beautiful best friend sadly lost her son during labour, they had his hands and feet casts done as well, family took lots fo photos but something like this would heve been wonderful.

trish what a lovely thing for you to do, lucky there are people out there like you, bless you

i certainly couldnt do that, it was hard enough holding him with my DD kicking from inside me

**Rach75** · March 10th, 2008, 06:18 PM

The Australian Charity of Child Photographers.

is the name of organisation my friend is vice president of the vic group

**Willow** · March 10th, 2008, 06:22 PM

Wow, that is just beautiful. Such a precious gift for those parents...

**Spring Angel** · March 10th, 2008, 06:25 PM

The photos I have with my son Harrison are some of my treasured memories. This is such a truely special idea that has me balling

Although a child may be stillborn, they are born still and deserved to be rememberd and treasured forevermore.

Springxx

**Michelle71** · March 10th, 2008, 07:43 PM

I took some beautiful photos of Caitlyn when she was born. They are the most precious of our reminders of her. We even had them made into framed gifts for our immediate family so they could remember her tangibly too. A special memory for grieving parents.

**mrsmac** · March 10th, 2008, 07:51 PM

When my friends baby was stillborn she took photos and then took them into Rabbit to be developed, and explained that they were the only photos of her DS and to please be careful with them and not be rude or coment negatively. they were lovely and didn't even charge her for them.

**Shanti** · March 10th, 2008, 08:00 PM

That's such a wonderful organisation.... for someone to donate their time like that to help the parents of stillborns/ill babies etc is just amazing....

We own a print shop and recently a young couple about our age, came in to get some photos printed and they left the disk with us. My DH opened it up and showed me that it was pictures of a stillborn.... about 20wks i'd say by guessing.. I was really disturbed by it, not in a bad way but just so emotionally shaken by it. I can't imagine what it would be like for parents to go thru this and for someone to help them by being there taking all those precious photos with such precious time they have with their young ones well that is such a gift....

**klee** · March 11th, 2008, 08:11 AM

Its such a wonderful gift to parents of stillborn children, we don't get to see our children grow up and the images we receive are all that we have of them, and something I cherish of my daughter Phoebe. We were lucky enough to have a midwife on staff who was a photographer the evening after we gave birth, she wasn't happy with how the midwives during the day had taken photos so she took Phoebe for about an hour, redressed her and put her in "sleeping" poses, you wouldn't know any different, she also made up a book with footprints and handprints, again she wasn't happy with how the earlier one was done, its something I am forever grateful for because you can see the difference between the two.
at the time we were not told of any organisations that did this.

**melham74** · March 11th, 2008, 08:15 AM

When my freinds bub died 3 weeks ago from sids aged 4 weeks old the funeral lady gave them the name of a photograhper as she was upset they hadnt done any family photos, they had them done but the lady that did them was horrible charged them a $300 fee with no photos and they still havent got the photos which are another $600.

**Kitt3n** · March 11th, 2008, 08:27 AM

Humbling, beautiful thread. Thankyou.

**Lisa** · March 11th, 2008, 09:17 AM

Such a beautiful idea.

DoubleK · March 11th, 2008, 11:41 AM

i think thats a beautiful idea..

my mum had a stillborn baby when i was 5 (she would have been 18 this year!) we often talk about her and say 'imagine if...' i think that has helped my mum and dad over the years.

they had some photos taken of themselves and Rebecca after she was delivered, they used their own camera, dad went straight away to develop the film.. just in case they didnt work out, and guess what, they didnt, the film hadnt been wound on properly. he actually called the hosp from the phot place and said he will be back asap and they need to take more photos.
they eventually got their photos.

i think the idea of a professional doing the photography is great, i think the people doing this are very thoughtful. i also hope anyone needs to use this service is pleased with the results.