Why do I love maternity sessions so much???

I’m sure you can tell by now that I have a special place in my heart for my maternity clients. I am genuinely obsessed with the entire experience, the journey you embark on whether it’s your first or third (or more). I know, I know, I’m not trying to glorify pregnancy as if it’s rainbows and butterflies. It’s hard, really hard. But nothing worth having comes easily, right?

I had my kids really young (since most people ask, I was 22 when I had my first kid). I wanted to be a young mom and of course there are pros and cons to having your kids early vs waiting. But this felt right for me.

That also meant that we were relatively broke. We were just coming off of living in Africa prior and during a part of my first pregnancy before moving back to New Jersey. We were still building our careers as most people are through their 20s while simultaneously juggling babies and young kids. I never got the opportunity to have a maternity photoshoot done for myself, and I think that’s one of my driving forces for capturing this moment for people. All I have are mirror selfies, lots and lots of mirror selfies. I’ll be honest, there’s a pretty distinct difference in quality and overall magnitude of the beauty of pregnancy.

Being a mother myself, it’s not just about the shape (although I am obsessed with it). It’s not just about the baby inside either, even though that is equally as important. For me it’s about the power of the woman in front of me. Her strength and her endurance. The ability to create a literal human being, sacrificing her body, her sleep, her comfort. I am obsessed with the journey and transformation that comes from becoming a mother and that’s how I like to capture it. The woman as a whole, not just reducing her to her baby alone. 

For a lot of women, becoming a mother feels a little like a loss of self. In front of my camera, you’re whole. You’re you, you’re a mother, you’re a woman, you’re powerful, you’re creative, you’re bold, you’re even still sexy. You haven’t lost any of who you are, you’re only adding to it and becoming a more dynamic woman. 

I’m grateful beyond words to be a part of that journey with my clients. To be chosen to document such an incredible time in your life. As much as it feels like an eternity while you’re pregnant, that time comes and goes so fast. If you’re currently pregnant and considering a shoot, please do it. Capture that moment, it will be gone before you know it. Even if you’re feeling some kind of negative feelings about yourself during that challenging (and hormonally charged) time, I promise you won’t regret it. As Moira Rose says, “One day you will look at those photos with much kinder eyes and say, "Dear God, I was a beautiful thing!"