Either you are reading this early in your pregnancy while you decide on whether or not maternity photos are for you, or maybe you’re coming closer to your due date while you fully embrace the eviction notice jokes as “maternity session” keeps moving lower on your to-do list. Maybe you just aren’t really feeling so great. So you’re here, trying to figure out one thing; should I even do a maternity session?
Celebrate the anticipation and joy
Right now, you might be feeling absolutely amazing, or you might not be feeling your best. Feeling confident and sexy can oftentimes feel challenging when it comes to major changes happening with your body. From swollen ankles, aches, heartburn to irresistible cravings, weight gain, and hormone shifts. It’s natural to feel uncomfortable in your own skin during pregnancy.
Regardless of how you feel, a professional maternity photo shoot can be empowering! Not only will you feel beautiful and powerful you will also have more love for your body and appreciation for the work it’s been putting in. Pregnancy is an incredible time in your life. These moments before you welcome your new child into the world are moments you will want to remember for years to come. You also might not think it now, but eventually, you’ll miss that bump and the baby bonding time you had when your child was in the womb. Why not have some professional images taken to celebrate these feelings before you forget them?
Strengthening your bond as a couple
Maternity photos are a wonderful way to capture the next chapter in your story as a couple. Pregnancy can sometimes cause tension in a relationship. Besides a change in lifestyle and mood swings, you most likely have a partner struggling to comprehend what in the world you’re going through. I mean, you’re growing a human! It's an incredible, fascinating, and magical process. And let’s be real, it can sometimes be a bit horrific. While mothers experience a deep attachment to the baby while pregnant, fathers and non-carrying mothers often aren’t able to develop that attachment until after birth. Taking maternity photos can help new fathers and non-carrying mothers develop a strong emotional bond with their growing baby.
Maternity photography sessions give you an opportunity to reminisce about how your relationship started and how far you’ve come as you look into the future. Whether this is your first child or your fourth, a maternity session can help you honor the love that started it all and celebrate how you’ve grown together. It’s your final chance to document how your life together is changing from couple to family, or say... from family of four to family of five.
Capture this moment in time for you and your baby
Your life is about to change in a big way, and before you know it, the present moment will be nothing more than a memory. Before your family changes to welcome its newest member, you should take time to enjoy where you are now and celebrate the love you share. Of course, when you have images of your family as it grows, you can look back on those photos in the years to come and watch the way you all have changed, and so can they.
Have fun with older siblings
The best thing about a maternity session is it can be a family photography session, giving your other children a chance to express themselves for the camera and have fun. Your new baby will require a lot of your attention, so why not let your older children have some time in the spotlight? Including older siblings in your maternity photos can make them feel more involved in your pregnancy journey—and more excited for their new little brother or sister to arrive.
Create a big reveal
If you’re planning on sharing your baby’s sex or name, a maternity session can be the perfect opportunity to make that announcement. There are a variety of fun and creative ways you can make that announcement (just check out Pinterest!), and if you need suggestions, your photographer can help you come up with a unique way to let people know the gender or name of the new child you’re expecting.
Feel gorgeous for a day
From the clothes that don’t fit to your discomfort, pregnancy doesn’t always make you feel beautiful. A professional maternity photography session can be a reminder of just how gorgeous you are and how amazing your body is. Like we mentioned earlier, these sessions are oftentimes empowering. After all, you’re growing a human being, and that’s truly incredible! Use your maternity photos as an excuse to get pampered with a haircut or even professional makeup and get all dressed up. Wear as much or as little and you’d like. When you see your images, you may be surprised by how stunning you look. Ask your photographer if they have maternity outfits or companies they love. In addition, if you’re extremely self conscious about your appearance during pregnancy, you can talk to your photographer about photo touch ups.
Have images worth displaying
I think the most rewarding part of these images, we’ve discovered, is how your child recognizes them as they grow older. We have couples who display their maternity and newborn photos on the walls in their nursery and as their children grew they would recognize themselves and the love their parents have for them. They ask questions, they learn how they came to be here and they feel loved and celebrated
These moments in your life journey are worth celebrating and what better way to celebrate them than with images displayed on your walls and in photo albums. Welcoming a new child into the world and into your lives—that’s a huge deal! You deserve to celebrate this time in your lives!
Ready to schedule your session? Schedule a 20-30 minute call through this link. We’ll learn about you and you’ll learn about us, our process, and pricing.
Check out one of our other maternity session posts: 7 Reasons Why You Want Maternity Photos
