Reclaiming Birth: Innate Strength and Beauty
(2025)
Sha chose to birth her second child outside the medical system in Puerto Rico, a U.S. commonwealth where access to midwifery care is limited and medicalized birth is the norm. Her decision was an act of reclaiming her body’s wisdom and power.
On an island where C-section rates are over 50%, her choice to birth at home was both deeply personal and inherently political.
Her images reflect the profound intimacy of community-supported care and the sovereignty of the birthing body. They also challenge dominant narratives shaped by patriarchal and institutional systems. They look to reflect a more just and empowering reproductive healthcare model. One that includes midwives, honors autonomy and centers dignity, care and community, over control.
First photograph was part of the exhibition:
Photography Now at Woman Made gallery
Chicago