MADISON, Ala. (WHNT) — A family from Madison will soon be a part of a museum exhibit in the heart of New York City thanks to a viral birth photograph that highlights a lesser-known way to connect mom and baby during a C-section.
The child in the photo, Bennett Nichols, is now 7 years old. He tells News 19 that he likes playing baseball and other sports.
Bennett’s mom, Allison Nichols, tells News 19 that the whole family is excited to be a part of an exhibition.
The picture, which was taken during Nichols’ cesarean section birth in 2018, will be part of the “Designing Motherhood: Things that Make and Break Our Births” exhibit at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York City. The exhibit is set to run from October 4, 2025, through March 15, 2026.
The picture is also published in a book with the same title that was released in 2021.
The picture shows Nichols watching doctors through a clear surgical drape, cutting Bennett’s umbilical cord.
“It was really special just to see him as soon as he came out and not have to be behind a wall, almost,” Nichols said.
Clear drapes for C-sections have only been an option since the early 2010s. In fact, Bennett’s birth was one of the first at Madison Hospital where it was utilized.
Nichols tells News 19 that in a clear drape C-section, the regular blue surgical drape stays up for the majority of the delivery, but it is removed just in time for the mom to see her child enter the world.
“As Bennett was being pulled out, that’s when they dropped the blue, and I watched them pull him out and cut the cord,” Nichols said. “It’s just really neat that women have that opportunity to connect with their baby in a different way.”
The photo of Bennett’s birth was taken by Tracy Abney, the Nichols’ family doula and a birth photographer.
“The clear drape is just super special in terms of allowing both parents to be a part of the birth and not be the last one in the room to see the baby,” Abney said.
Abney told News 19 that she believes the picture, which also went viral online, resonates well with moms, like herself, who had c-sections before the implementation of clear drapes.
“I think it kind of hits home for people who didn’t have that option of what we missed,” she said. “The part of the birth process that we didn’t get to experience.”
Both Nichols and Abney said that they believe the photograph has helped bring awareness to what options are available to moms during c-sections.
“The coolest thing about it is that I’ve seen other women say ‘Hey, I didn’t even know that was a thing’ and get to use clear drapes for their C-sections,” Nichols said.
Everyone involved said they are excited about the upcoming opening of the exhibition.
The Nichols family said they have planned a trip to NYC around Christmas so they can see the exhibition in person.
“I’ll probably get emotional and just be so giddy,” Nichols said. “New York at Christmas time is all so magical and so I can’t wait to experience that with my family and say, ‘Hey, that’s us!’”
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