Maternity photos are kind of time-sensitive…

All photo sessions have different time-frames where you should schedule them. Senior sessions happen around your kiddos’ senior years, newborn photos happen when your baby is a newborn (shocking right?) and maternity photos? Well, they happen during maternity, it’s kinda in the name.

But there’s more to it than that, because the timing of your maternity session can make or break everything from your resulting images, to the comfort you’re in during your session! That’s why it’s something I want to walk through in detail, because even the simplest concept might be where some people run into hiccups. And I ALSO get that planning ANYTHING when you’re pregnant feels like a WHOLE project. So in other words: I’ve got you, let’s get into it.

When should you book Maternity photography?

As usual with my “when should you book” explanations, we start with the cop-out answer, because you might mean how far ahead should you reach out to a photographer, and I don’t like leaving stones unturned.

So: When should you book maternity photoshoots? As soon as you know you’re going to want one! Which for many in the “pending parenthood” period, is shortly after the end of your first trimester, right around when you share the news with family. Of course, reaching out to photographers in that time frame usually means you’ve been looking for a little while before that, so feel free to start looking into choosing a photographer even sooner!

But it’s a little more complicated than that…

Now, when I say that you should look at booking toward the end of your first trimester, that doesn’t mean there aren’t exceptions to that rule! The reason to book ahead, is to make sure that the photographer you want to work with has time in their calendar. But that DOESN’T mean if you’re headed toward your third trimester and you’ve decided you want to schedule maternity photography, that you’ve missed the window!! You haven’t. As soon as you know you want maternity photography… reach out to photographers, and make it happen, mama.

By “when” – do you mean when should the photoshoot take place in your pregnancy?

How early to book might not even be what you mean by that question though, and it’s also not the most important part about timing for your maternity session! The most important part about timing, is when in your pregnancy the session is actually going to take place.

And although there are definitely exceptions to the rule… there’s a starting range you can use!

During weeks 30-36 are your best bet

Scheduling your maternity session somewhere between the 30 week mark, and 35 weeks in (so somewhere around 7-8 months) is usually the sweet spot. For your maternity session, we want your bump to be as prominent as it can be, without you being in the straight up uncomfortable stages toward the end goal. This means you’re going to be more comfortable in the studio, more able to tolerate different temperatures, more able to tolerate changing clothes, and standing – honestly it’s just more comfy overall.

And your comfort is super important to the final result of your images! Obviously you’re going to have the magical glow and look gorgeous no matter what, but there’s only so much post-processing that can be done on photos, and if you’re exhausted in the way that can only be caused by late-stage-maternity… I can’t always magic the visual portion of that exhaustion away.

Every pregnancy is different, so base it on your experience!

All that being said, every pregnancy is different. If this isn’t your first time on the merry-go-round, and things are shaping up to be similar to your previous pregnancy (or pregnancies) then you might be ahead of the game! Anticipate how you’re going to be feeling, to the best of your ability, and make sure you communicate with your photographer about whether the 30-35 week timeline is going to be best for you. Because no matter what, you NEED maternity photos, and we will make it work!

There are also a ton of accommodations that photographers can make, and that we make here at Jessica Strobel Photography, to make sure that maternity photography is as comfortable as possible. If outdoor isn’t really a workable vibe at this point in your pregnancy, then we can always use the studio, so that you have a more controlled environment for the photoshoot! We can even come to you, if that’s what’s going to be best! Working with your unique situation is our priority – along with, of course, making sure you get amazing photos to remember this time in your life.

Looking for a Minneapolis Maternity Photographer?

So if you’re looking for a maternity photographer, and you’re about ready to jump, let me know! I’d love to talk about creating a session that meets your needs AND ends up gorgeous, for you to look back on for years to come. This time passes so quickly – even in the moments it feels slow. And you deserve to be able to look back on the calm moments before your little one joined your family, not to mention the amazing things your body has done!