The "SOME PEOPLE" Essays
The Power of Strong, Healthy, Life-Giving Women by Marijke Thoen | Edited by Kimberly J. Soenen
(First Encounter. November 21, 2017. Girl kneels down to get a closer look at her baby brother who just entered the world. The baby is still attached to the umbilical cord and has not yet taken his first breath. Photo by Marijke Thoen.)
Birth can be rough, raw, and messy, but it is natural and beautiful. Women don’t always find themselves in a safe and supportive space to give birth. Finding the confidence and faith in their own bodies is often impacted because they simply haven’t had access to educational information about prenatal care and the birth process.
In Belgium, we have Universal Healthcare, so access and affordability are not an issue here. That layer of financial distress or insurance coverage-worry while pregnant does not exist.
Many women globally receive the message that birth is something to fear. In certain cultures and contexts, including in the United States, pregnancy and childbirth are still considered a disability, handicap, or illness.
I feel humbled when parents allow me to witness this miracle over and over again.
Sometimes I am not sure if my photography is about showing mothers how incredibly strong and powerful they are, how strong their bodies are, or if it’s about showing these newborns, when they grow older, the gentle loving care they were showered with when they were welcomed Earth-side, as I call it.
As the responsible mother of two children, I wish every soul could see with their own eyes how much love was rained down upon them when they entered this world. If everybody saw that, how could anyone one ever doubt that they are loved? That the body and being are to be respected, revered, and honored?
When I am witnessing and documenting births, people forget entirely that I am in the room. Emotions are raw and time seems to slow. I’ve never witnessed something go severely wrong, but I can say from considerable experience that birth rarely goes according to plan. These little ones each come into the world in their own way, on their own time, which is often very different from the wishes or expectations mothers have about their deliveries.
(Tattoo. Photo by Marijke Thoen.)
My son was born at home on the bathroom floor. Within half an hour of going into active labor, I birthed him on my own because my midwife was unable to arrive in time. Looking back on it, I was stunned that my body just knew what to do to deliver him.
That’s the amazing thing about women, about mothers…we just know what to do. Sometimes I think we forget how to trust the wisdom of our bodies.
Giving birth is also a process where you cross your own boundaries, and the amount of pain you thought you were capable of coping with, more than once. But as soon as that baby lies in your arms, you are determined you are going to protect “this thing you went through so much pain for” with everything you’ve got.
Becoming a mother changed me. It brought me back in touch with who I really am and confirmed for me the reason I am here. The first thought that came to me after I had given birth to my daughter at the age of 29 was, “Oh...so this is who I am. I am a mother.”
ABOUT
Marijke Thoen is a renowned birth photographer based in Belgium. She won the International Award for the Most Beautiful Birth Photo of the Year in both 2016 and 2018. The prize is awarded annually by the International Association of Professional Birth Photographers. In 2018, the Audience Choice Prize called Birth Becomes Her was added, and Marijke's photo was awarded the Best Birth Photo of 2018 by fellow birth photographers from all over the world. Marijke is considered one of the most experienced birth photographers in Europe. She specializes in documenting birth and the complex, dynamic lives of women worldwide. Her focus is motherhood, pregnancy and love. She also hosts community-building workshops internationally. Follow her ongoing work on Insta here.