Only a mother knows the pain, joy, and the incredible feeling that washes over her when she finally gives birth to the baby she has been carrying in her womb for 9 excruciating months. None of us can even fathom the gravity of that feeling or gauge the joyful pain on any human scale. And for this very reason, motherhood will remain to be a mystery for most of us.
These beautiful photos capture every emotion that a woman, her partner, and her relatives feel during the magical process of bringing a small, crying life into this world.
All these photos won awards at the 2016 photography contest by The International Association of Professional Birth Photographers (IAPBP).