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During my pregnancy, I’d stacked on the weight (not being a princess here – it was around the 20kgs mark!) and I was very self conscious and embarrassed about how I looked. Now, Three years later and with a child, I regret that I have hardly any images of my pregnancy with my gorgeous daughter. I may not have thought I was beautiful then, but as I have grown older – along with my child – I do wish that I would’ve had the confidence to have left more photographic memories. So, I have decided to give you 10 great reasons to have a maternity photo shoot before your chance runs out!<h3>#1: You. Are. Beautiful!Now now… stop that naughty little voice in your head right now! You might feel tired, nauseous, sore, aching and blimp-like… but from the outside, we don’t feel those things that may lead you to think that you look terrible! Instead, we see a beautiful woman bringing a new life (or two or more!) into the world, with a gorgeous little bubba growing inside of her.Pregnancy is a thing of beauty, awe and amazement for many people – and it will be for you too if you ignore the cheeky gremlins in your mind telling you otherwise. Gosh, some women surely feel envious and jealous of you too, remembering what a special time pregnancy was and/or wishing they were in your shoes! You will only be pregnant a few times (if that) in your entire life. No matter if you think you look far from glowing or glamorous, a skilled pregnancy photographer can easily draw out the beauty, love and femininity of pregnancy – you may just surprise yourself…

#2: There’s No Need To Worry About Your Belly

If you didn’t feel comfortable with your belly before you were pregnant, now you can show it off knowing that it looks beautifully round, without worrying about its shape or look! A pregnant belly does a great job of hiding your squishy bits, so perhaps for the first time in a while, you have a chance to flaunt your belly and feel great about it! A great pregnancy photographer can make you look gorgeous, elegant and glowing. Many pregnant women say that one thing they love about being pregnant is that they are less self-conscious about the weight on their belly, working wonders for confidence levels.<h3< span=””>>#3: Oh The Memories…</h3>You might be unsure about it now, but if you don’t have a photography session while you’re pregnant, you’ve lost the chance to create once in a lifetime memories – you can’t get them back. Photos also trigger memories, feelings, emotions… they help you remember more vividly. Even if you don’t care for the memory for yourself, I can assure you that when your children are older, they will be delighted to see the photos of their pregnant mamma, while they were growing inside of you.

#4: It’s Fun!

Many pregnant women I speak to tell me that they had lots of fun and laughs during their pregnancy photo shoot. If you choose a maternity photographer that suits your personality and style you want from the shoot, you’ll have a great time. Make sure you do your homework though, and that the photographer is experienced in maternity photos – a normal maternity photographer may not have the same creative ideas and poses suitable for a pregnant woman.<h3>#5: Yo</hu Can Get Creative!Its important to do a bit of research or give some thought into ideas or themes you’d like for your pregnancy photos – if you find things on the web or in magazines, save your favourite images to show your photographer. An experienced or talented pregnancy photographer will be great at directing you and suggesting ideas, so its good to find out what they like to do in maternity photo shoots. If you’re like me, I prefer a candid style of maternity photography instead of cheesy posed stuff! So I made an effort to come up with some ideas based on what I wanted the photos to reflect and how I wanted to remember the pregnancy. For my recent pregnancy photography, I wanted to reflect elegance and intimacy – it was our first baby together and very likely our last. My partner and I hired a beautiful hotel room (one of my favourites in Mumbai) which included a big corner spa in the stunning bathroom. We lined the bath with tea candles and made a big bubble bath, taking some photos of my belly popping out through the bubbles, relaxing back – both on my own, and with my partner behind me, with his arms around me. I loved it because it hid all my wobbly bits and it looked so glam! We also took some really cute and fun shots in the huge king sized bed – we were both topless and my partner was lying behind me all snuggled in with his arms around me, which looked stunning against crisp white sheets (the photos were taken from above). He bit my earlobe in one of those pictures, which made me both laugh and squirm at the same time, which made for a very funny photo! We also used a parasol by a window while I was wearing a sarong around my waist and more. There are loads of great ideas out there which can reflect your own personal style and tastes – its a great chance to do pre research on pregnancy photoshoot and to let your creative juices flow and let your imagination run wild.

#6: A Chance To Bond With Your Partner</h3>Whatever little pregnancy photography I had with my baby, I hold very dear because of the emotion behind it. We had a crazy, whirlwind journey and it felt like a moment in time where we stopped and connected in a big way as an expectant couple. Sure I still looked like I had the extra kilos, but I didn’t care. It felt intimate and special, and you can really see that in the images. Looking at the photos I can bring myself right back there, and feel so much love and appreciation for my partner. Seeing the love in his eyes too, reminds me how lucky I am. It can be harder for a dad-to-be to bond with an unborn baby, since the baby is growing inside of you, moving inside you, having hiccups inside of you – and not him. You might feel all warm and fuzzy when those things happen, but he can’t feel it so he doesn’t know how wonderful it is. But putting dad in the picture (pardon the pun!) can help him bond with baby a bit more too, and it gives him some special memories of his own – aside from you yelling at him for bringing you a cheese and tomato sandwich when you asked for a cheese and pickle sandwich!

#7: It’s Fun and Bonding For Siblings Too!

If you have children already, they may feel really special by being in some of your maternity photos, hugging your belly, kissing your belly – showing their love, bonding with baby. It can help them to feel important too, and a nice memory which they can look at one day and remember, ‘I was there when you were in mummy’s tummy!’ Some children may feel apprehensive about changes coming – what it will mean for them when the baby comes. Pregnancy photos with your older child(ren) is a nice way to put a fun and exciting touch to your family changing.

#8: Professional Photographers Are Much Better Than Home Shots!

Yes, you could just take images at home, or get them done by a friend or family member. But a professional maternity photographer can create a work of art, taking into consideration the best angles, lighting, effects, focus and depth – they can totally transform what would otherwise be just a shot of you, into a story, a feeling, a work of art. They can prepare any images you may want printed and give them a great finish that will ‘wow’ not only you, but your friends and family – images that relatives may want to purchase and treasure for themselves. Great photos make great presents too!

#9: It’s Not As Expensive As You Might Think

Many people associate professional pregnancy photography with costing a bomb, but it isn’t the case. Most maternity photographers these days have many options which enable you to have a digital images to use as you please. They usually have a sitting fee which varies, then you can choose prints if you like. Considering how much we might spend photographing a wedding day, a pregnancy photo shoot which is just as memorable costs a fraction of that. That said, you need to weigh up cost and quality. You do generally get what you pay for, but using common sense by doing your homework, seeing the maternity photographers work and getting word of mouth recommendations can save you heartbreak if they don’t turn out like you asked or hoped for.

#10: Once It’s Gone, It’s Goneh3>There are only a few months in your life, per baby, that you’ll have a glorious noticeable, round belly – sadly it takes months to show and you have that in-between ‘could be a squishy tummy but could also be pregnant’ stage too! Before you know it, the birth is over, they’ll be at school, or having their own kids, just like your parents will tell you. And those dear moments of pregnancy will be but a distant memory. Even if it’s something you do just in case you might want it later, I don’t know anyone who has regretted getting a pregnancy photo shoot – but I know plenty who regret not doing it.</div>

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