Take Her Freakin Picture

When a baby is born, the focus often lands squarely on the newborn. Family and friends flock to take selfies with the baby, snap pictures with grandma, and document the moment from every angle. But often, in the midst of all the excitement, the most important person gets left out of the frame: Mom.

Whether it's a first-time mom or someone who's already been through the journey before, the act of giving birth is an incredibly vulnerable and life-changing experience. But despite this, moms are rarely given the opportunity to be captured in those first precious moments with their baby. It's the joy of the baby that everyone wants to remember, but often, the mother herself is forgotten.

It’s so easy to get caught up in the excitement of a new life, but we need to remember the significance of including the mom in the pictures too. Whether she’s holding her newborn for the first time or watching her child play years down the road, those moments matter just as much. So why do we tend to forget to take pictures of mom?

The Vulnerable State of New Moms

When a baby is born, everything revolves around the little one. It’s understandable — a new life has just entered the world, and everyone wants to capture the joy and excitement that surrounds this tiny human. However, the mom, who has just gone through a transformative and often physically exhausting experience, is left watching from the sidelines, making sure everyone else gets their moment with the baby.

In these moments, she may be physically and emotionally drained, perhaps still recovering from labor, breastfeeding, or just trying to adjust to the new demands of motherhood. These early days are overwhelming, and the last thing on a mom's mind is asking someone to take her picture. However, it is these moments that she will want to remember the most.

Why It’s Important to Capture the Moment

When it’s all said and done, and the baby grows into a child or even an adult, moms often look back and realize there aren’t enough pictures of themselves with their kids. While they may have countless photos of the baby or toddler years, the person who carried and cared for the child through it all remains behind the lens, often unnoticed.

Years later, when the house is quieter, and their children are no longer small, those pictures become irreplaceable. It’s heartbreaking to realize that so many of those memories were left undocumented. But we can change that.

Take the Freakin’ Picture

If you’re a friend, family member, or partner, here's what you can do: take the freakin’ picture.

It’s simple. When you’re capturing those early moments with a baby, don’t forget the mom.

Offer to take a photo of her holding the baby or playing with her older child. It doesn’t have to be a professionally posed photo — it could be a candid shot of her laughing, wiping a tear, or simply holding her child in her arms.

Moms may be tired, they may not feel their best, and they may even feel like they're not “photo-ready,” but that moment with their child is worth preserving. These images will become treasures that both mother and child will look back on with fondness and gratitude.

The Heartbreak of Missing Memories

As the years pass, it’s not the selfies or staged photos that moms will cherish most; it’s the spontaneous, authentic memories captured with their children. When a mom looks back at the early years and realizes that she has no pictures with her children, no pictures of her holding them close in those first months or years, it can feel like something precious was lost. That moment — her moment — slipped through the cracks while everyone else was focused on the newborn.

So, let’s make sure that doesn’t happen. Let’s prioritize taking pictures of moms, whether they’re fresh from the delivery room or watching their children grow up. Let’s make sure she’s included in the memories that will last a lifetime.

The Takeaway

If you do anything for the moms in your life, whether they’re welcoming a newborn or simply enjoying time with their kids, take their picture. Don’t let her fade into the background while the world celebrates her child. Because when she looks back years from now, those photos will be priceless reminders of the love, joy, and connection she shared with her children.

So, the next time you’re snapping a photo of that cute bundle of joy, don’t forget to turn the camera around and get a shot of the mama too. Trust me, she’ll thank you later.