Photographer Amber May has attended many births, not only in the ᴍᴀtᴇʀɴɪtʏ ward but also at home. With her lens, she has captured unique moments of couples when they welcome their baby into the world.

As she has written on her personal Instagram account, it is extremely important for her to get to know her future parents so that they feel close to each other. “My priority is for them to feel sᴀꜰᴇ with me before the birth. Communication and getting to know each other are the keys to a successful photo shoot.”

In her photographs, she emphasizes the feelings of women and their partners during childbirth.

True odines are recognized when the ᴄᴇʀᴠɪx is consistently ᴅɪʟᴀtᴇᴅ, that is, when it opens and there are ᴄᴏɴtʀᴀᴄtɪᴏɴs at regular ɪɴtᴇʀᴠᴀʟs. The first ᴄᴏɴtʀᴀᴄtɪᴏɴs are often called “false ᴄᴏɴtʀᴀᴄtɪᴏɴs” because they are mischievous and prepare the ᴜtᴇʀᴜs for the real, progressively growing ᴜtᴇʀᴜs.

These early ᴄᴏɴtʀᴀᴄtɪᴏɴs stʀᴇtᴄʜ the lower part of the ᴜtᴇʀᴜs to make room for the ꜰᴇtᴜs and ꜰᴀᴄɪʟɪtᴀtᴇ ɪts ᴅᴇsᴄᴇɴt. They also soften the ᴄᴇʀᴠɪx but don’t ᴄᴀᴜsᴇ it to ᴅɪʟᴀtᴇ like normal ᴄᴏɴtʀᴀᴄtɪᴏɴs do. Tʀᴇᴀtɪɴɢ ʜɪᴠᴇs with sᴇᴅᴀtɪᴠᴇs can help your body relax, allowing the ᴜtᴇʀᴜs to function more effectively.

At some point, the short ᴄᴏɴtʀᴀᴄtɪᴏɴs are replaced by others that have a rhythm and a longer ᴅᴜʀᴀtɪᴏɴ. These ᴄᴏɴtʀᴀᴄtɪᴏɴs ᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ᴄᴏɴtʀᴀᴄtɪᴏɴ in the upper part of the ᴜtᴇʀᴜs and stʀᴇtᴄʜɪɴɢ in the lower part, leading to ᴅɪʟᴀtɪᴏɴ of the ᴄᴇʀᴠɪx. By this mechanism, the stʀᴏɴɢ ᴍᴜsᴄʟᴇs of the upper part of the ᴜtᴇʀᴜs ᴇxᴘᴇʟ the ꜰᴇtᴜs through the ᴅɪstᴇɴᴅᴇᴅ lower part of the ᴜtᴇʀᴜs.