I haven’t done a ton of maternity sessions in my 3.5 years of business, but things have really picked up in that department since moving to Morgantown…and I’ve really enjoyed it! I’ll admit, I wasn’t completely thrilled with doing maternity sessions a couple years ago, but they’re quickly turning into one of my favorite kinds of portrait sessions…right behind engagement sessions, of course. 🙂 I love meeting parents-to-be, hearing their pregnancy stories, sharing pregnancy advice, checking out their trendy nurseries, and just capturing such a precious time in their lives. What an honor it has been to photograph such beauty!

“Beautiful” isn’t a word that everyone would choose to describe a maternity session. I’ve heard some ladies say they’d look gross or it would be awkward. I even had one lady laugh at me when I told her she’d do well in a maternity session. So many couples opt out of the maternity session, just like they do the engagement session, so I’m here to hopefully change their minds and let people in on a little secret…maternity sessions really are a beautiful thing and you can look beautiful doing it!

I met up with Kara and Trevor yesterday for their maternity session. They tried for over four years before getting pregnant with their little boy and they don’t want to miss a moment! They want to photograph everything, including his birth, and I’m so excited to be a part of it all! Kara has been super sweet, very involved creatively and is just plain excited about all this, so I’ve asked her to answer a few questions about why she decided to do a maternity session…even though she had a hard time finding outfits and even though some family didn’t understand the concept. So if you’re a mama-to-be or think you might be pregnant in the near future and you aren’t sure about a maternity session, consider Kara’s thoughts (thanks for sharing, Kara!)…and enjoy a little sneak peek at she and Trevor’s beautiful session…

Why did you decide to do a maternity session? Why have you decided to document this time in your life with professional photography?

The decision to document this amazing time in our lives with maternity photos came easy to Trevor and I. It took us over four years of battling unexplained infertility to finally be blessed with our son. Because of all we went through leading up to and achieving this pregnancy, I already knew that I would do whatever I could to document this incredible time in our lives. I couldn’t imagine NOT doing a maternity session! I had years to see the maternity photos of friends and family, and to get a good idea of what I wanted mine to be like someday, and I couldn’t wait for my turn.

Why do you think other moms-to-be should at least consider doing a maternity session?

Pregnancy is fleeting. Sure, while you are pregnant, it may feel like an eternity. But once your little one arrives, your pregnancy will be just a distant memory. Capturing it via photography is not only a great way to preserve the memories, but also a fun and artistic way as well. A great photographer makes all the difference in the world, and can provide you with some amazing works of art. Pregnancy is a miracle, and should definitely be celebrated.

If you had nerves or hesitations about doing a maternity session, what changed your mind? Or what helped you overcome those as you prepared for the session?

The only thing I was nervous about was finding something to wear that I felt comfortable in. I’ve gained a good bit of weight since becoming pregnant, and it’s hard not to feel self-conscious. But, once I found a couple outfits that worked well, I was fine. I knew that if I let my weight-gain deter me from getting the photos taken, I would regret it. I can always lose the weight after my baby boy arrives, but I can’t always be pregnant. And this time of my life will be over before I know it, and capturing it was of utmost importance to me.

Some people see maternity sessions as “gross”, “awkward” or they just don’t quite understand them. How would you dispel these ideas?

Honestly, I think the best way to dispel these ideas is to look at some amazing maternity photos! When I found Jessica’s website and saw the maternity photos she had taken, I was sold! And thanks to sites like Pinterest, it’s easier than ever to find amazing ideas and creative, fresh photos. Sure, there will always be ones that are not very tasteful and not well done, but when you see some amazing maternity photos, it really helps to do away with the “awkward” image. Also, remember that you are in control of what you want out of your photos. For example, I didn’t want any bare belly photos, no photos of Trevor kissing my belly, no lingerie maternity photos, etc. Make the photos reflect who you are, and don’t agree to something that makes you feel awkward.

Also, don’t let other people’s opinions on maternity photos sway your decision! When telling my mom about the photos, she didn’t really get why I was doing it. And my father-in-law was the same way. But don’t feel that you need to justify yourself or explain it. Maternity photos are more common now than ever before, but those from other generations may not get it. And that’s ok. They are for you and your partner and your future child.

What was your favorite part about preparing for the maternity session?

I think my favorite part was looking through maternity photo ideas to see what I really liked and didn’t like. Thankfully Jessica worked with me on my requests (“No cheesy photos, please!”), and we were able to incorporate many of the ideas I liked. Pinterest is wonderful for this. Also looking through Jessica’s past maternity sessions helped me to see some poses and ideas I liked as well.

What do you plan to do with your maternity portraits?

I plan to hang/display a couple! The others we will put in an album we are making for our son. I wish I had some photos of my mom while she was pregnant with me, so hopefully our little guy will appreciate those photos someday. We will also give a couple to both sets of parents, and to my grandparents. This is the second grandchild for my in-laws, and the first on my side of the family, so everyone is very excited!

So what do you think? I’m sure you’re thinking how beautiful Kara looks ( 😉 ), but how about doing a maternity session? Just like Kara said, you’re in control so we don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. If you don’t want to pose naked with your hubs and do a semi-awkward prom pose, then we won’t (that’s not really my style anyways). If you want to keep things simple with some casual portraits just relaxing at home, we can totally do that! How special it would be to give your son or daughter a nice portrait of you while you were pregnant with them! Or how about just feeling awesome and beautiful during this “fleeting” and precious time in your life!?! I think it’s a grand idea and I’d love to have you! 🙂