Look, I'll be straight with you. When I was pregnant with my first, the idea of a maternity shoot felt... extra. Like something influencers did, not regular people. I'm standing there at 29 weeks, ankles looking like tree trunks, and my husband's like "let's get professional photos." Yeah, sure. Let's document me at my puffiest.
But then I met this Virginia Beach Newborn Photographer who completely changed my perspective. She wasn't trying to make me pose like some pregnant model. She just wanted to capture real life—my hand on my belly, my husband making me laugh, the actual me. Not some airbrushed version. Three years later, I'm so glad we did it because honestly? I barely remember feeling pregnant now. The photos bring it all back.
Valid concerns, all of them.
But here's what nobody mentions—you're only pregnant for nine months (okay, technically 10 lunar months but who's counting?). That's it. Blink and it's over. My daughter's in preschool now and sometimes I look at my bump photos and literally can't believe she was in there. That weird disconnect between then and now? Photos help bridge that gap.
Also, kids are weirdly fascinated by this stuff. My daughter pulls out the photo album constantly. "That's me in your tummy?" She touches the pictures like she's trying to remember something she can't possibly remember. It's sweet and strange at the same time.
My sister-in-law did hers at 27 weeks because she had hyperemesis and that was literally the only week she felt human. Photos are stunning. Another friend waited until 36 weeks and could barely waddle—also beautiful photos.
There's no secret formula here. Schedule it when you feel ready, when your body cooperates, when the weather's nice. Or don't schedule it at all and do a spontaneous shoot in your backyard at sunset. Rules are made up anyway.
And yeah, these sessions are actually kinda fun once you get over the initial awkwardness. You're forced to stop thinking about baby gear and registry items and just... exist. Be present. Feel your baby move while someone captures it. When's the next time you'll be this pregnant? Never. This baby, this bump—it's one-time-only.
The spot matters less than you think though. What matters is feeling comfortable. I wore jeans and my husband's flannel to mine because that's what I lived in. No fancy gown, no flower crown. Just us. And those photos feel so authentically ours.
Weather's gonna do what it wants. Rain happens. Wind happens. Clouds show up uninvited. Roll with it. Some of the best maternity shots I've seen were taken in less-than-perfect conditions because they feel real, not staged.
Already have kids? Definitely include them. My nephew (then age 3) spent the entire maternity shoot trying to lift his mom's shirt and yell into her bellybutton. "BABY CAN YOU HEAR ME?" Those are everyone's favorite shots because they're ridiculous and perfect and so real.
Going through this alone? These photos are still important. Maybe even more so. You and your baby, that's the whole story right there. Everything else is details.
You build rapport with a photographer during maternity. They understand your vibe, what makes you comfortable, how you like to be photographed. Then baby comes and you're not interviewing strangers while running on 90 minutes of sleep and leaking through your shirt. You've already got someone you trust.
Plus the before/after thing is pretty incredible. That bump followed weeks later by the actual baby who was IN the bump? Gets me every time. It's visual proof of this insane transformation your body went through.
Good photographers get this. They're not trying to make you someone you're not. They're working with your actual body—the one growing a human—and finding angles and lighting that highlight what's beautiful about THIS moment. Stretch marks and all.
I had a massive dark line down my belly during pregnancy. Linea nigra, they call it. Felt self-conscious about it during the shoot. Know what? In the photos, it's barely noticeable and honestly adds to the whole "yeah I'm super pregnant" vibe. The things we stress over usually aren't as big a deal as we think.
I'm not gonna lie and say you NEED professional photos. Your phone works fine. Your partner can snap pictures. You can skip the whole thing entirely and be just fine.
But there's something about intentionally setting aside time to celebrate this that hits different. Making it important enough to plan for. Saying "yeah, this matters. I matter. This baby matters." In a world that tells pregnant women to shrink and be quiet and not take up space, a maternity shoot is the opposite of that.
My maternity photos sit in a frame on our bookshelf. I pass them daily without really looking anymore—they're just part of the scenery now. But every so often I stop and really see them. That woman looking back at me had no clue what was coming. The sleepless nights, the overwhelming love, the way your heart walks around outside your body forever after. She looks so hopeful and nervous and beautiful.
That's the real gift. Not perfect pictures, but honest ones. Proof that this wild, temporary, completely life-changing experience actually happened.
So yeah. Book the shoot if it feels right. Or don't. But either way, document this somehow. You won't regret having these memories. You might regret not capturing them.
But then I met this Virginia Beach Newborn Photographer who completely changed my perspective. She wasn't trying to make me pose like some pregnant model. She just wanted to capture real life—my hand on my belly, my husband making me laugh, the actual me. Not some airbrushed version. Three years later, I'm so glad we did it because honestly? I barely remember feeling pregnant now. The photos bring it all back.
Why I'm Writing This (And Why You Should Care)
Every week, someone asks me if maternity photos are worth it. They're expensive. You feel huge. What if you hate how you look? What if the photos are cheesy?Valid concerns, all of them.
But here's what nobody mentions—you're only pregnant for nine months (okay, technically 10 lunar months but who's counting?). That's it. Blink and it's over. My daughter's in preschool now and sometimes I look at my bump photos and literally can't believe she was in there. That weird disconnect between then and now? Photos help bridge that gap.
Also, kids are weirdly fascinated by this stuff. My daughter pulls out the photo album constantly. "That's me in your tummy?" She touches the pictures like she's trying to remember something she can't possibly remember. It's sweet and strange at the same time.
The Timing Thing Is Honestly Flexible
Everyone says weeks 28-36 are ideal. Cool. But what if you're showing at 24 weeks and feel cute? Shoot then! What if you're 38 weeks and suddenly get a burst of energy? Go for it!My sister-in-law did hers at 27 weeks because she had hyperemesis and that was literally the only week she felt human. Photos are stunning. Another friend waited until 36 weeks and could barely waddle—also beautiful photos.
There's no secret formula here. Schedule it when you feel ready, when your body cooperates, when the weather's nice. Or don't schedule it at all and do a spontaneous shoot in your backyard at sunset. Rules are made up anyway.
And yeah, these sessions are actually kinda fun once you get over the initial awkwardness. You're forced to stop thinking about baby gear and registry items and just... exist. Be present. Feel your baby move while someone captures it. When's the next time you'll be this pregnant? Never. This baby, this bump—it's one-time-only.
Let's Talk Locations Real Quick
Beach? Classic for good reason. Something about sand and water and that glow-y light makes everyone look good. I've seen mountain shoots that took my breath away. Urban stuff with brick walls and graffiti—surprisingly cool. Your own bedroom with messy sheets and morning light streaming in—intimate and real.The spot matters less than you think though. What matters is feeling comfortable. I wore jeans and my husband's flannel to mine because that's what I lived in. No fancy gown, no flower crown. Just us. And those photos feel so authentically ours.
Weather's gonna do what it wants. Rain happens. Wind happens. Clouds show up uninvited. Roll with it. Some of the best maternity shots I've seen were taken in less-than-perfect conditions because they feel real, not staged.
Bringing Others Into the Frame
If you've got a partner who's hesitant about photos, I get it. My husband was NOT excited initially. "Do we really need this?" he kept asking while I dragged him to the session. Now he's the one showing everyone those photos. Men are weird like that—resistant until they're suddenly not.Already have kids? Definitely include them. My nephew (then age 3) spent the entire maternity shoot trying to lift his mom's shirt and yell into her bellybutton. "BABY CAN YOU HEAR ME?" Those are everyone's favorite shots because they're ridiculous and perfect and so real.
Going through this alone? These photos are still important. Maybe even more so. You and your baby, that's the whole story right there. Everything else is details.
The Bundle Deal Everyone Talks About
So here's where I mention that lots of photographers Williamsburg VA and elsewhere do maternity-plus-newborn packages. Which, okay, sounds like they're trying to sell you more stuff. But actually? It makes sense.You build rapport with a photographer during maternity. They understand your vibe, what makes you comfortable, how you like to be photographed. Then baby comes and you're not interviewing strangers while running on 90 minutes of sleep and leaking through your shirt. You've already got someone you trust.
Plus the before/after thing is pretty incredible. That bump followed weeks later by the actual baby who was IN the bump? Gets me every time. It's visual proof of this insane transformation your body went through.
Nobody Warned Me About This Part
Pregnancy does a number on how you see yourself. Some days you feel powerful and beautiful. Other days you feel like a blob. Society's obsessed with the "pregnancy glow" but sometimes you've just got heartburn and swollen feet and a face full of hormonal acne.Good photographers get this. They're not trying to make you someone you're not. They're working with your actual body—the one growing a human—and finding angles and lighting that highlight what's beautiful about THIS moment. Stretch marks and all.
I had a massive dark line down my belly during pregnancy. Linea nigra, they call it. Felt self-conscious about it during the shoot. Know what? In the photos, it's barely noticeable and honestly adds to the whole "yeah I'm super pregnant" vibe. The things we stress over usually aren't as big a deal as we think.
Here's What This Is Really About
Strip everything else away and maternity photos are just... evidence. Proof that this chapter existed. Your baby before they were earthside. Your body doing impossible things. That specific cocktail of excitement and terror that only exists during pregnancy.I'm not gonna lie and say you NEED professional photos. Your phone works fine. Your partner can snap pictures. You can skip the whole thing entirely and be just fine.
But there's something about intentionally setting aside time to celebrate this that hits different. Making it important enough to plan for. Saying "yeah, this matters. I matter. This baby matters." In a world that tells pregnant women to shrink and be quiet and not take up space, a maternity shoot is the opposite of that.
My maternity photos sit in a frame on our bookshelf. I pass them daily without really looking anymore—they're just part of the scenery now. But every so often I stop and really see them. That woman looking back at me had no clue what was coming. The sleepless nights, the overwhelming love, the way your heart walks around outside your body forever after. She looks so hopeful and nervous and beautiful.
That's the real gift. Not perfect pictures, but honest ones. Proof that this wild, temporary, completely life-changing experience actually happened.
So yeah. Book the shoot if it feels right. Or don't. But either way, document this somehow. You won't regret having these memories. You might regret not capturing them.
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