A black-and-white picture of a three-and-a-half-days-old baby peacefully resting on the mother has gone viral. The baby was born by caesarean section and what strikes one is the scar on the mother’s abdomen, something which many women from all over the world have connected with.
29-year-old photographer from Guernsey, Hellen Aller shot the picture which has been shared over 60,000 times since it was posted on Facebook on August 12, and viewed by more than 11.5 million people.
On her Facebook post, Helen wrote, “I photographed this mama's pregnancy a while back and she was telling me how terrified she was of having a c-section. Well last week she went into labor but had to have an emergency c-section after complications. She asked me to come over this morning and shoot this particular image as her worst nightmare proved to be what saved her and her child's lives.”
Numerous people wrote saying how they appreciated the picture and many even shared their personal accounts of giving birth by C-section.
“Thank you for sharing this image. I am a photographer and I went through this ordeal when I gave birth to my only son who is now 27 years old. I had preeclampsia and lost a lot of blood. So I love this picture a lot. Thank u so much....,” wrote one.
Image source: Helen Carmina Photography/Facebook
Another said, “I'm a proud mom of two c-section babies, one emergency and one planned. I was terrified both times for different reasons but we made it through and we're all happy and healthy! It will always be my most beloved scar because it gave them life.”
Though the response has been mostly positive, there have been some who found it offensive and reported it to Facebook. While some called it softcore porn, others found the nudity disturbing. The social networking site has however taken no action.
“I didn't expect this image to reach so far. I understand everyone has their own opinion which they are entitled to, all I ask is that comments are not rude or hurtful and are kept respectful. If it is not to your taste please hide it from your newsfeed. Thank you!!,” Helen later wrote.
Helen who is eight-months pregnant herself told Daily Mail that she too is “terrified” at the thought of getting a “c-section” herself.
The woman in the photograph has however chosen to remain anonymous. But Helen thinks she is “shocked and overwhelmed at the minute” over the attention the picture has received.