When my husband and I decided to try and start a family, we both agreed that we would want our child to have a sibling. So when we found at our 9 week ultrasound that we were getting two for one with identical twins, I knew that this was going to be my first and last pregnancy LOL! A few friends have told me how they regretted not documenting this special time in their lives and since I only plan on doing this once, deciding to get maternity photos done was a no brainer for me!
With the current COVID pandemic, we weren’t sure if maternity photos were going to be possible but some of the restrictions were lifted just in time for Craig and I to celebrate our five year wedding anniversary with a socially distanced maternity shoot. Julie Jagt and I have worked together on shoots in the past and I love her work so I knew she would not disappoint! The scenery at Pitt Lake is so gorgeous too. It’s no wonder it’s such a popular spot for photo sessions!
Shopping for maternity clothes during a pandemic proved to be quite a challenge. I couldn’t go into stores to try on clothes and ordering online often meant huge delays in shipping. Luckily I discovered PinkBlush Maternity online and was thrilled when my order arrived in just two days! I wore two different dresses for our shoot and they were both from PinkBlush.
I decided to treat myself with a beautiful flower arrangement from Vivio Flowers. They were able to take my last minute request and gave me exactly what I was looking for!
When you have a singleton pregnancy, it is recommended to do your maternity photos around 30 weeks. You should have a nice bump (and not look like you are just bloated lol) but you won’t be so far along that you will be super uncomfortable during the shoot. Because we are having twins, we scheduled our shoot a little earlier because I already had a noticeable bump and wanted to take pics while I was still feeling relatively good.
Luckily, my white off the shoulder dress was stretchy enough that I was able to change into my second dress by putting it over my head and taking my white dress off underneath. No way was I going to walk all the way back to the truck just to change LOL!
What I like about the clothes from PinkBlush is that many of their items are wearable after pregnancy as well. This pink dress has plenty of room for your growing baby and then after the baby’s born, it’s great for shoplifting melons (any F.R.I.E.N.D.S. fans out there?) ;).
I almost forgot that I planned to bring a hand lettered jean jacket to the shoot and I scrambled to get this jacket ready the night before the shoot. And just in case you are wondering, yes you can rent this jacket for your own maternity or family shoot!
Here are some tips for your own maternity shoot:
- Book your maternity photos around the start of your 3rd trimester for the best results. You’ll have a nice belly and you’ll still be comfortable moving around. If you are having multiples like me, you may want to schedule them earlier (around 24-26 weeks).
- Decide if you’d like to do an outdoor shoot, studio shoot, or in-home session. The location will help determine your outfit (formal vs. informal, colour scheme etc.).
- Choose a form fitting outfit that will nicely showcase your belly. If your photographer specializes in maternity shoots, they may even have a collection of maternity dresses that you can borrow, which will save you a few $$.
- You may choose to bring a prop to your shoot. Some ideas are an ultrasound pic, a onesie, or little baby shoes etc.
- Emphasize your bump by putting one or both hands on your belly for your photos.
- Feel free to incorporate dad, siblings, and fur babies into the shoot.
- For outdoor shoots, the lighting is best during sunrise or sunset. I am not an early riser so we scheduled our shoot about 2 hours before sunset and we had the most amazing light!
- Choose the right photographer! Ask to see a maternity portfolio ahead of time and you’ll have a better idea of what to expect when you receive your gallery. Plus, you’ll gain some ideas for poses!
xoxo Bev
Photography by Julie Jagt
Flowers from Vivio Flowers
Hand lettered chalkboard and jean jacket by me!