Oh, baby! What a photo!

How do you spell L-O-V-E? This photo of a beautiful newborn spells ‘love’ with the baby’s ᴜᴍʙɪʟɪᴄᴀʟ ᴄᴏʀᴅ still ᴀᴛᴛᴀᴄʜᴇᴅ to the child and ᴘʟᴀᴄᴇɴᴛᴀ.

The visual impact of this photo, titled ‘Welcome earthside, sweet little Harper,’ is undeniable. It quickly went viral after Emma Jean Photography posted it to their Facebook page on January 2, with readers posting thousands of shares and comments.

With the help of baby Harper, UK midwife-turned-photographer Emma Jean Nolan is highlighting an ᴀɴᴄɪᴇɴᴛ Maori tradition: ʙᴜʀʏɪɴɢ the ᴘʟᴀᴄᴇɴᴛᴀ. The Maoris, indigenous to New Zealand, ʙᴜʀʏ the ᴘʟᴀᴄᴇɴᴛᴀ after the baby is born, signifying their respect for the earth, which, like the ᴏʀɢᴀɴ, provides ɴᴏᴜʀɪsʜᴍᴇɴᴛ. She explains on Facebook:

“As a Maori baby, his ᴘʟᴀᴄᴇɴᴛᴀ will now be returned to the land. The word ‘ᴡʜᴇɴᴜᴀ’ refers to the ᴘʟᴀᴄᴇɴᴛᴀ and the land. Wʜᴇɴᴜᴀ (ᴘʟᴀᴄᴇɴᴛᴀ) is returned to the ᴡʜᴇɴᴜᴀ (land) with the ᴘɪᴛᴏ (ᴜᴍʙɪʟɪᴄᴀʟ ᴄᴏʀᴅ) the link between the newborn and ᴘᴀᴘᴀᴛᴜᴀɴᴜᴋᴜ (mother earth). With this affinity established, each individual fulfills the role of ᴄᴜʀᴀᴛᴏʀ for ᴘᴀᴘᴀᴛᴜᴀɴᴜᴋᴜ (mother earth), which remains lifelong.”

Nolan had wanted to photograph an image like this for quite some time but was waiting for a baby with an ᴜᴍʙɪʟɪᴄᴀʟ ᴄᴏʀᴅ long enough. Sure enough, Harper’s ᴄᴏʀᴅ lent itself perfectly to the word ‘love.’

Andrea Rangel said, “So beautiful. I finally got to see one with my last birth. It’s an amazing thing. Just beautiful.”

Amanda Jasionowicz said, “Absolutely beautiful photo! I ʙᴜʀɪᴇᴅ my son’s ᴘʟᴀᴄᴇɴᴛᴀ, and it is a great way to honor the beginning of life and give back to the land that gives to you.”

Tepara Koti said, “I wish we were allowed to do this in hospital births. Unfortunately, hm birth isn’t really an option for me.. but I’m still going to ask my midwife if we can try.. thank u for posting!!”