Photographer shares real-time photo updates of couples' birth experiences

Most couples are quick to snap pictures of their new babies in the hospital, and many even capture mom and dad holding their son or daughter for the first time - but one Kansas City-based photographer is taking picture-perfect parenthood to the next level by documenting every single little moment in the lead up to the birth, as well as a few special ones that come right after.

Photographer Cate DePrisco started her project, Insta Birth Story, to capture photos of the entire birth process and show the experience from a new and unique perspective. From mom's water breaking to dad helping her through contractions and grandma knitting in the waiting room, Cate's goal is to show all of the most emotional moments of a birth - and, in some cases, publish the pictures for the world to see on her Instagram page.

'I believe there's more to a birth story than baby's first breath,' she explained on her website. 'My mission with birth photography is to show the more positive, moving moments in welcoming a new baby into the world.'

'There's SO much more to [birth] and it's NOT a quick process [sic],' Cate told The Huffington Post in a recent interview, explaining why she took up this specialized take on birth photography.

Besides taking the standard first shots of a couple's new baby, she also captures 'the way Dad lovingly looks at Mom', the rest of the family eagerly awaiting the arrival of the new baby, and the doctors and staff who help bring the new life into the world. She snaps the clock on the wall at the time the baby is born, big brothers and sisters meeting their new little sibling, and grandparents learning the sex of their grandchild.

And when the couple lets her, she publishes their stories on her website - and even shares real-time photo updates on her Instagram account with the hashtag #InstaBirthStory.

So far, she has shared live updates of four deliveries, including a C-section, births with and without epidurals, and a hospital birth that started at home, and she has included several more birth stories on her website.

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