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Photographer captures the reality of motherhood in honest photo series

The images capture just how tough being a parent can sometimes be

Sarah Young
Tuesday 15 May 2018 15:17 BST
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(Giedre Gomes
(Giedre Gomes

A photographer has captured what life as a stay-at-home mum is really like with a series of brutally honest images.

Giedre Gomes, from Cedar Lake in Indiana, is a photographer and mother to two young sons, five-year-old Mario and three-year-old Rocco.

To mark Mother’s Day in the US, the 35-year-old knew she wanted to create a powerful photo series but was also tired of seeing conventional dreamy images of women and their children.

Instead, she wanted to show the reality of motherhood and challenge the stereotypes that come with being a stay-at-home parent.

After putting out an open call on Facebook looking for mothers to feature in her photographs, Gomes joined forces with her neighbour, Jamie, to create an honest series of images inspired by their own experiences as parents.

“I knew I wanted to show a mother butt naked on the toilet not having any privacy and a mother trying to shower with the company of the kids,” Gomes told The Independent.

“This project was so me. Every single picture in this project, I have been there. I even have cell phone pictures of me on the toilet while breastfeeding.

(Giedre Gomes)

“I’m a fun, happy, crazy mum, who doesn’t care what other people think and thankfully my neighbour Jamie is just like me and said ‘I don’t care, I will pose on the toilet.’”

Together, Gomes and her friends created a series of pictures portraying everything from breastfeeding while simultaneously preparing dinner, to chaos in supermarkets, being jumped on in bed and being interrupted while on the toilet.

(Giedre Gomes)

But while the images are light-hearted, the photographer hopes that it will create a more serious conservation about just how hard motherhood can sometimes be.

“I wanted to show that stay home mums don’t sleep all day. So many people think ‘oh good for you, you are home all day, you don’t have to work’ but that’s just not right,” she said.

(Giedre Gomes)

Writing for Bored Panda, the mother-of-two also explained how she believes being a mum is the best job in the world but that it’s not always “rainbows and butterflies.”

“Motherhood is no longer having privacy, never peeing or showering in peace. Motherhood is using your shirt to wipe runny noses and dirty faces. Motherhood is learning how to do everything with one hand while carrying a baby in another.

(Giedre Gomes)

“Motherhood is waking up with a little butt or foot in your face. Motherhood is breastfeeding whenever wherever. But in the end, I wouldn’t have it any other way,” she wrote.

After sharing her photo series for Mother’s Day, Gomes says that she didn’t expect the reaction it has received but is pleased that so many parents can relate to it.

(Giedre Gomes)

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