When To Take Maternity Photos

Pregnant woman lying on a bed, looking at the camera and smiling

Pregnancy is such an incredible journey. Some women have fond memories of the time they are pregnant, others have a tough time along their journey. Either way, at the end of the road comes a precious little being that changes your life forever. Maternity photography is such a beautiful way to document this special moment in time for a family. While it may seem overwhelming to fit in a maternity photography session during an already incredibly hectic time of your life, you won’t ever regret having taken pregnancy photos. I encourage every expecting mother to document their pregnancy. Here are three reasons why every expecting mother should get maternity photos. Three Reasons Why Every Expecting Mother Should Get Pregnancy Photos.

A common question for an expecting mother is, when should I get my maternity photographs taken?

Schedule your maternity photography session early

In general, you should schedule your maternity session early in your third trimester, between 30 and 36 weeks. At that time your belly should be nice and round, and “pop” in your photos.  This is also before the baby moves downward; you should be able to move around a bit easier and still comfortable for the session.

Plan an earlier session if you are expecting multiples

If you are expecting multiples, you would schedule your session earlier, between 27 and 30 weeks. Your belly will appear bigger earlier, since you are carrying more than one child. This is a time when you can still move around fairly easily. Also the average length of pregnancy with twins is 36 weeks, so you want to get in early if you want to document your pregnancy.

Schedule a session when it’s best for you

The recommendations above are just that, recommendations. There are no rules saying that you can’t schedule your session outside of these recommendations. What is important is that you are comfortable and the time of the session works for you and your family. For example, you may schedule your session at a certain time during your pregnancy, but decide to change the date because you are growing faster than expected. Every woman’s body is unique and every pregnancy is unique. Your decision should be tailored to your specific situation.

Baltimore, Maryland In-Home Lifestyle Maternity Session

It was such a pleasure to work with this expecting mama and her husband for this lifestyle in-home maternity session. In a few more weeks, this gorgeous couple will be welcoming their first child into the world, a new baby girl! We did this session at 36 weeks, so it was right within the recommended time frame. The beauty of an in-home session is not only is it a more intimate setting for the couple, but it also documents what their home looks like before the baby’s arrival. This light filled room is currently their guest room but will soon transition to a nursery; it’s good to have images of what it looks like “before.” We had fun capturing great maternity photos and documenting the time right before everything changes.

I would love to work with you and your family, to capture precious moments in time. If you are interested in a lifestyle maternity session, contact me today!