Have you scheduled your maternity portrait session yet? There are a few things to consider when deciding when to have your pictures taken. If you have them taken earlier in your pregnancy, you won’t have a very big baby bump. That may or may not matter much to you. If you have them taken later, you might have filled out in the areas you’re not so fond of, like your face and arms. Obviously, not every woman gains everywhere. Some women only look pregnant in their torso area. It’s anyone’s guess whether you will experience swelling and weight gain in other areas of your body. It’s somewhat of a gamble.
If you decide to go with a later date, be careful that you don’t wait too long. While it’s fun to try to capture your baby belly at its largest, you’d hate to miss the opportunity altogether. A good time to plan your photo shoot is around the 34 or 35 week mark. There are two benefits to scheduling your maternity portraits around this time frame. First of all, you’ll be unlikely to give birth that early, so you don’t have to worry about missing your session. Second, babies usually won’t drop before the 37th week, so your belly will still be nice and round for photos. If you’re like many first time moms, your stretch marks won’t show up until the end either, so having your photos taken a little earlier might save you the embarrassment of lifting your shirt for the camera and revealing fresh, purple squiggles.
If you’re planning on visiting a walk-in-studio, you may have a little more flexibility. You can wait a little longer since you don’t have to make an appointment ahead of time. Worst case scenario: you run to the portrait studio when you feel like labor is about to begin. (I wouldn’t recommend it, though.)
Here’s another idea: some photographers offer special pregnancy portrait packages which include sessions throughout the pregnancy to capture the mom-to-be at each stage. The photographer will then combine several of the portraits to make a unique collage of her growing belly. This solves the dilemma of making a decision on whether you want early or late pregnancy portraits taken, because you get both.