When’s the Best Time for a Maternity Photography Session?

As you can imagine, scheduling your professional maternity photography session is a bit of art and science - and I’m not just talking about choreographing the perfect poses and lighting. Babies have their own ideas about when they’re entering the scene, which can mean mothers who go into labor weeks before they anticipated the big event.

While it’s never too late to take newborn photos, it’s impossible to capture maternity photos after a baby is born!

Reasons to Schedule Maternity Photography Sessions Between weeks 32 and 37

For this reason, we aim to schedule maternity sessions between week 32 and week 37. There are additional reasons why this time period makes the ideal window for the most stunning and priceless images.

Special note: The best time to book your session is at the beginning of your second-trimester; and while you’re at it, you can schedule your newborn photography session - making you a part of our Bump to Baby plan, which gives you a better value for your investment.

Your belly is full enough to shine, but not so full that you don’t

The goal of a maternity session is to capture the most undiluted essence of your pregnant form - the glow, the bounty and the magic of a body that is able to grow and nourish a baby. This means we like to wait until the third trimester.

The tricky part about waiting is that most women find the third trimester a bit of a yin and yang. This yin is the first half (you still feel great, can move pretty comfortably and enjoy the ultimate sensations of your baby’s motions), while the yang shows up in the second-half when sleeping for long stretches is challenging and your body feels a bit cumbersome.

By aiming for that window between weeks 32 and 37, we celebrate the contours of your body - during a time period when you’re still feeling really great and not worried about going into labor, and...

You can move comfortably and safely

...you can move safely around the photography location. The majority of my maternity sessions take place in beautiful, outdoor locations around the Bay Area (no light is better than that provided by Mother Nature). So, your physical comfort and safety are a top priority.

I mentioned that third trimester yin/yang relationship pregnant women experience. If your 36-week and onward belly feels too-big-for-your-comfort, you will have a hard time moving around and holding occasional poses with the same ease as you would have a few weeks prior (the typical maternity session takes about one full hour. And, since safety is always the priority, your solid footing is directly related to your ease of movement.)

Also, along the lines of comfort, Lemonshoots provides all of the beautiful gowns and props you’ll need for your session so there’s no need to purchase anything special. Just book your appointment with your favorite hair and make-up stylist and wear something comfortable with a button-down shirt - our gowns will do the rest.

You’ll have plenty of time to receive gift certificates

Most professional maternity and newborn photographers offer gift certificates. And most baby showers take place during the end of the second -or beginning of the third- trimester. This means you can enjoy being showered with gift certificates from friends, family members, and work colleagues and get them to you via baby showers and smaller celebrations in time for you to use them.

If the gift certificates exceed the price of your booking fee, you’ll have extra funds to spend towards gorgeous wall art and exquisite albums.

Are you ready to book your professional maternity session with a professional photographer who is experienced, certified in newborn photography safety and techniques and who is passionate about mothers and their babies? Contact me, Marcela, here at Lemonshoots and we’ll make magic together.