Question: Should I book maternity photography for my pregnancy? 

Answer: Yes, you absolutely should – but not just because photos are cool. You should schedule maternity photography because this time of your life is so fleeting, and you should be able to remember it – no matter how your pregnancy has gone!

Pregnancy is a turbulent time

Every pregnancy is different – whether it’s your first or not. Not only that, but things change month to month and week to week pretty rapidly, and it totally makes sense to worry about things like “setting photography sessions in stone months from now”. How do you know how you’re going to feel? Short answer, you don’t, and that’s what makes planning things rough. Trust me, I get it, and I get the anxiety it can cause.

But as a photographer who works with maternity clients on a regular basis, I can tell you there are VERY few pregnancy problems we can’t work around, and we’re going to talk a little bit about that today, because no matter what, you should book maternity photos.

Maternity photography has a clock ticking in the background

Most photo sessions don’t have specific timing around them. A family photo session, for example, can happen whenever you want it to. If you’re trying to catch your 7 year old with their two front teeth missing you might be working with a timeline at your end, but largely, you can book a photo session whenever you want to, and we can make it happen. Even for things like senior picture sessions, we have a fairly big window of time to work with, since they can happen anytime between your junior and senior years of high school.

Once the time for maternity photos has passed… it’s gone.

But maternity photography (and newborn photography, but that’s another whole can of worms) has a timeline attached. This is why I recommend booking it as soon as you feel you’re going to want a session, because you need to make sure you can get into the calendar of the photographer you want to work with, in the timeframe that’s needed for your pregnancy! If you want gorgeous documentation of your baby bump, then we need to make sure things are timed so that it’s obvious, but not so late in your pregnancy that you’ve crossed the line into “just straight up uncomfortable constantly”.

You might find yourself thinking, but I’m ALREADY uncomfortable constantly?? Which first of all, is totally fair. You’re growing a whole ass human, and like I said, every pregnancy is different! But we can work around that discomfort, with all kinds of solutions. The biggest one? Well… I can come to you!

You have location options for your maternity photo session!

Obviously we can have your maternity photoshoot here in the studio, or out somewhere in the great wide world of the Twin Cities – but if you’re in a place where you can’t really leave the house? You literally don’t have to. Documenting this time in your life is so important, and I want to make sure that no matter what, if you want photos of your pregnancy, you can have them. So you don’t have to feel awkward about your capacity or level of ability no matter what stage of pregnancy you’re in – if you want your session in your own home? Just say so, and we will make it happen.

Having your photo taken while pregnant might mean feeling vulnerable

We’re going to talk a little bit about the elephant in the room, because frankly I don’t think it’s discussed enough, and women should feel empowered to talk about pregnancy however they want to. I know we do the whole “glow” thing and the whole “magical” thing and the whole “powerful” thing – and yes, that IS a type of empowerment. But you should also be allowed to talk about how much pregnancy can actually straight up suck. And while people are telling you left and right that you’ve got that maternity glow – you might not FEEL like you’re glowing at ALL. And mama I need you to know that is SO, so valid.

I see you. I promise. I get it. Your body is doing all kinds of totally whack things, it feels like someone stuck an air compressor onto your body and forgot when to turn it off. Your feet hurt. You’re waking up nauseous. Maybe you’re just nauseous ALL the time. Not every part of pregnancy is glamorous.

But again: that is not a reason to avoid documenting this time in your life. It can absolutely feel vulnerable – but that vulnerability is 100% worth moving through. And I promise you that if I’m on the other side of the camera, there will be absolutely no judgment of you at any point during your session. If you need to take a break to go casually handle a nausea-related incident during your session? Amazing, you do what you need to do. If snacks need to be on board at all times? We’ll take pictures of you digging around in a pickle jar. I am here for you in all of your vulnerability, and chaos, and imperfection – no matter what that means. All I want, is for you to be able to look back at this time ten years from now, and see the magic that was you while you grew a human.

Making memories through photography is important… no matter how chaotic your pregnancy is

And that’s why no matter what your circumstances are, it’s important to document this time in your life. Even if it feels hard. Even if right now, you feel like it’s a bit extra. Ten years from now, you’re going to want to be able to look back, whether pregnancy is a magical time for you, or a… less magical time. I’m running the risk of getting a little bit cliché here, but I don’t have a better way to say it: pregnancy changes your life forever. Not just your body, or your family – it changes YOU. And while everyone is busy talking about how much your life will change on the outside, there are so, so many things reorganizing themselves on the INSIDE. Both literally and figuratively.

You deserve to be able to look back at that pivotal time in your life, because you’re going to be processing it for a very, very long time. Not immediately after your baby is born – because when that happens you’re going to be thrust head-first into new parenthood, or adding a member to your clan. But later – maybe not for a few decades – you’re going to have a day where you want to look back. Where your soul needs (I told you I was getting all emotional and cliché, right? You were warned?) the clarity it can only get by looking the past you in the eyes. The one who was going through this change. And when that happens? Your maternity photos will be priceless.

Hoping to book maternity photography for the upcoming year?

So if you’re hoping to book maternity photography in the Minneapolis area this year, I would be honored to be the photographer you book with. Whether you’re looking for an in-studio session, or we need to get a little more creative to meet your needs, I promise that Jessica Strobel Photography can make sure you have maternity photos you’ll love looking back on in a decade’s time (or more)!