First Time Mama Maternity Session

It was never a question that I would be doing maternity photos once I was pregnant. I think it is a beautiful thing to document such a special time in a woman’s life, growing a baby in the womb. My wife and I tried to get pregnant for three years with the help of Idaho Center for Reproductive Medicine. More on that in another post. We finally had success this last July and we are now just two weeks away from our little ones due date! 

Since our little girl is going to be a spring baby, I wanted to have a session that reflected that. Which is difficult to do when Idaho’s spring is usually very unpredictable. I wanted green trees, and flower blossoms, and just that beautiful spring, new birth, everything comes alive vibe. After weeks of trying to figure out where the best location would be to take these photos, I finally decided Lucky Peak. Not because it was what I was really looking for, but because I knew that I would at least get some beautiful dramatic backgrounds even if I couldn’t have the beautiful spring look I was wanting. 

Jamie and I decided to do my session when I was 36 weeks pregnant. I have been pretty small throughout the whole pregnancy (thank you long torso) so I wanted to make sure that I actually looked pregnant for these photos. I also wanted to add some extra special touches to this session. I had a beautiful flower crown made by the amazing Emily of Rust and Thistle, and my hair and makeup done by the talented Jess Armstrong of bygorjess. I loved adding these “extras” for this session, because it made me feel beautiful and added that extra touch I was hoping for. And what pregnant woman doesn’t want to have a little pampering done before having her photo taken? Paige gave me the great idea of drying my flower crown to hang in our little girls room, which will add such a wonderful touch to her nursery. I also brought blueberries with me as my wife has nicknamed our little girl blueberry, so I wanted to make sure I had some photos representing that as well. 

 I kept looking ahead at the weather report to see if we were going to get good weather, and in true Idaho spring fashion, the weather was calling for rain on the day of my session. I wasn’t going to let it get me down though, I ordered a clear umbrella to bring with me, just in case. However, we didn’t end up needing it as Jamie sent me a text the night before my session, and asked if I would be interested in doing some photos in a greenhouse. It was the perfect suggestion, and I had found a new excitement for my session. Years ago I had gone out to Edward’s Greenhouse to take photos of their flowers, but haven’t been back since. I googled some images of the greenhouse and saw a few photos from senior sessions that were done there. I’m so glad Jamie suggested the greenhouse because it was the absolute best idea ever! When Jamie and I got to the greenhouse, we were in awe with how beautiful it was inside. So many different options for photos, and so many beautiful flowers and lush green plants everywhere. I was in heaven. It was exactly what I was hoping for and I got the spring photo session that I had been envisioning, without being cold and without any rain. 

My favorite part about looking back on these photos is feeling so beautiful. Pregnancy is not always glamorous, there are aches and pains that come along with the growing belly and you just don’t always feel your best. But, having these photos taken I felt like the most beautiful person in the world. I have felt so blessed to be carrying this little girl and these photos will be the perfect reminder of how I felt carrying her. The excitement and anticipation of meeting her, the beautiful pregnancy glow that shines through, the feeling of her kicking and rolling around in the womb, but most importantly the joy of finally growing our family. 

So, if you’re on the fence about doing maternity photos, whether it’s your first baby or your third, I definitely recommend that you do it! Not only will it be something for you and your spouse to treasure, but something your little one will enjoy as they get older as well.