Preparing for a new baby is always an exciting time for families. It’s full of nerves, anticipation, and of course plenty of joy.
But for families who are preparing for their second child, it’s a particularly emotional time. It’s not like the first baby, of course. This time, there’s another emotional layer that many people on the outside might not realize, and it’s one that’s more complex that it might look on the surface.
Breaking the news that the family is going to expand can be tricky enough, because parents never quite know what the reaction might be, as seen by the reactions of these older siblings to the news of a new baby.
Maternity and newborn photographer Laura Paulescu, though, captured a deeply emotional moment between mother and daughter right before the mother went to be induced.
The mom holds her young daughter tight, and while it’s a celebration of a new baby, it also marks the last time her daughter will be an only child. In just a few hours, she’ll become a big sister.
Paulescu, though, loves capturing all of the intricacies and unique interactions of families as they welcome a new addition, including the bittersweet ones.
Check out some of her other thoughtful, beautiful, and deeply felt photos of families during this special time, too.
[H/T: Country Living]
Photographer Laura Paulescu captures families in the moments before, during, and after childbirth.
Her photos cover the quiet, contemplative moments, like this one, as well as the raw emotion and energy of the actual birthing process.
But she also makes sure to include the interactions and emotions that pass between family members, like this beautiful, but bittersweet moment between this expectant mother and her first daughter.
The moment is beautiful because it encompasses the joy of a growing family, but also the sadness that this stage, the stage where this child is the only one, has come to a close.
Here, the mother takes a moment to recognize this passing, and holds her first child close.
Paulescu has a talent for capturing the bond between parents and children, but also has the ability to capture the very first stages of the bond between siblings.
Sometimes she even captures it before the baby even arrives!
She also knows that sometimes, a first baby isn’t always the human kind.
This family expressed their love for their dog, for a long time their only “baby,” before heading off to deliver their first child.
And after that moment of bittersweetness, as the dynamics of the family shift?
Then it’s all joy and new meetings!
The relationships between these children will grow and evolve in all kinds of ways, many of which can’t be foreseen.
Paulescu captures the first moments of these journeys, and they’re just lovely.
But like the image of the mother and child, they also encompass the many different feelings that come with a new addition, like curiosity, apprehension, and the new adventure of being in a suddenly different role in the family.
