Pregnancy is a very personal thing. You are giving up your body for 9 months to grow this little person, and it is the most selfless thing a mother does. Some women hate pregnancy. Some women love it, and it suits them so well that they would be pregnant all the time. I was in the first category. Pregnancy was hard on me, and I pretty much felt like crap the entire time. Maternity photos were the very last thing on my mind during any moment of my time growing that little booger Reagan.

But for some women, maternity photos are one of the first ways that they really own their belly and its fullness. Below are a few tips for having a great maternity session!

Take them between 7 and 8 months.

This is usually the prime time because your belly is full and swollen, but not SO big that it is uncomfortable or hard for you to maneuver around. Some women can wait until into the ninth month, but it might not be worth it to chance having a super uncomfortable and miserable time taking photos.

Wear clothes/dresses/gowns that you are comfortable with and feel beautiful in.

You want to feel beautiful for your photos. And your photographer is going to show you that are with the photos. Wearing a gown that makes you enjoy your body and your belly will show all across your photos, I promise. Try a few. Pick the one that most suits you and go with it.

Make your belly the center of focus. Choose a simple location without distractions.

This baby is about to be your whole world, so why not get a jump start and make the belly the whole attraction. Talk with your photographer about choosing a simple location that won’t take away attention in the photos from you and the reason you are there in the first place. Make the belly the star of the show. If you are shooting with your significant other, it will also help showcase the relationship you two have.

Communicate with your photographer.

Be open to what you are comfortable with and what you are not. I promise that if your photographer is a woman who has ever been pregnant, she will understand. And if you have a male photographer, he maybe watched his girlfriend or wife go through it too. Don’t feel forced to pose a certain way if you are physically not into it.

Relax.

I know it’s hard, and people are probably telling you all the time to enjoy the time you have left being pregnant and relax and “Oh, just wait.” This shoot should be really special to you (obviously you want to document it), and nerves might cause you to feel stiff. Breathe it out, girlfriend. Wiggle, jiggle, whatever you gotta do. Tell yourself that your photographer is going to capture perfect images for you. It is going to be fine. Just fine.