If you’re expecting a baby and wondering when to take maternity photos, you’re not alone. It’s one of the most common questions I hear from expecting mothers.
You want your pregnancy to be beautifully documented, but you also want to choose a time when your belly is showing, you’re still comfortable enough to enjoy your session, and you aren’t cutting it too close to your due date.
As a Raleigh, NC maternity photographer, I typically recommend scheduling your maternity photography session sometime between 28 and 34 weeks of pregnancy, depending on how you’re feeling and how your pregnancy is progressing.
But there’s a little more to choosing the perfect time than simply picking a week on the calendar.
When Is the Best Time for Maternity Photos?
For most expecting mothers, 30–32 weeks is a beautiful time for maternity photography.
By this point, your pregnancy is usually very visible, which means your beautiful baby bump will be the focus of your photographs.
At the same time, many women still feel relatively comfortable moving around and enjoying their session.
That said, every pregnancy is different.
Some moms prefer photographs around 28 weeks when they feel a little more comfortable and energetic. Others love the look of their belly later in pregnancy and prefer to wait until 33 or 34 weeks.
The most important thing is choosing a time when you feel like yourself and your pregnancy is progressing normally.
Why You Don’t Want to Wait Too Long
It can be tempting to put maternity photos off until the very end of pregnancy because you want the biggest possible belly.
But waiting too long can sometimes make your session more physically demanding.
During the final weeks of pregnancy, you may experience:
- Increased fatigue
- Swelling
- Back or hip discomfort
- Difficulty standing or walking for long periods
- Less mobility
- Earlier-than-expected labor
And if your baby decides to arrive early, you could miss your maternity session altogether.
That’s why I recommend planning ahead rather than waiting until the last few weeks.
If you know you’d like professional maternity photos in Raleigh, reach out early and reserve your session before your calendar gets too close to your due date.
When Should You Book a Maternity Photographer?
While your actual maternity session may happen around 30–32 weeks, you don’t want to wait until then to book your photographer.
I recommend contacting your Raleigh maternity photographer several months before your desired session date.
Booking early gives you more flexibility with your preferred date, location, and time of day.
It also gives us plenty of time to plan your wardrobe and talk through the overall look and feel you want for your photographs.
And if you’re planning to have both maternity and newborn photography, booking both at the same time can make the entire process much easier.
What Should You Wear for Maternity Photos?
One of my favorite parts of a maternity session is helping my clients decide what to wear.
You don’t need to show up with a closet full of options or spend hours searching Pinterest for the perfect maternity dress.
Your clothing should make you feel beautiful, comfortable, and like yourself.
Some of my favorite maternity looks include:
- Long, flowing dresses
- Soft neutral colors
- Cozy sweaters
- Simple fitted dresses that show off your bump
- Casual jeans paired with a beautiful top
- Textured fabrics
- Simple, timeless pieces
For a more intimate look, some moms choose to show their belly with a loose sweater or simple outfit.
There isn’t one “right” way to dress for maternity photography.
Your photographs should reflect you.
You Don’t Have to Wear a Traditional Maternity Dress
Maternity photography doesn’t have to mean a dramatic flowing gown in a field.
While those photographs can be beautiful, I also love creating maternity sessions that feel relaxed, modern, intimate, and natural.
A cozy sweater with your belly showing.
Bare feet in your home.
A simple dress.
Your favorite jeans.
Your partner’s hands resting on your belly.
These little details can make your photographs feel much more personal.
If you’re drawn to photographs that feel warm, natural, intimate, and timeless, your maternity session doesn’t have to look like everyone else’s.
Should Your Partner Be in the Maternity Photos?
Absolutely.
While maternity photography naturally focuses on the expecting mother and her beautiful belly, pregnancy is a family experience.
Including your partner creates photographs that document this moment before your family changes.
We can photograph the two of you together, your partner interacting with your belly, quiet moments of connection, and more playful images that feel like the two of you.
These photographs aren’t just maternity pictures.
They’re photographs of the two of you becoming parents—or adding another baby to your family.
What About Older Siblings?
If you’re already a parent, I highly recommend including your children in at least part of your maternity session.
There’s something incredibly sweet about photographing an older sibling waiting for their baby brother or sister.
They can hug your belly, talk to the baby, hold your hand, or simply snuggle with you.
And don’t worry if your child isn’t interested in cooperating for every photograph.
Some of the best family photographs come from letting children be themselves rather than expecting them to pose perfectly.
Maternity Photography in Raleigh, NC
Raleigh and the surrounding Triangle have so many beautiful options for maternity photography.
Depending on the season and the look you’re going for, we can create photographs outdoors or in a more intimate setting.
The location is important, but it isn’t the most important part of your session.
The connection is.
Whether we’re photographing you surrounded by beautiful North Carolina scenery or creating a cozy studio-inspired session, my goal is to create photographs that feel like your family.
What If You Don’t Feel Comfortable in Front of the Camera?
You don’t have to be a professional model.
In fact, most of my clients aren’t.
You don’t need to know how to pose, where to put your hands, or what to do with your face.
That’s my job.
I’ll guide you through natural movement and simple prompts so that your photographs feel relaxed instead of stiff or overly posed.
My goal is for you to look at your photographs and think:
“That actually feels like me.”
Why Maternity Photos Are Worth It
There are plenty of things you can buy for your baby that you’ll eventually outgrow, use up, or put away.
Photographs are different.
Years from now, you may not remember exactly what your pregnancy felt like.
You may not remember how your belly looked or how tiny your older child’s hand felt resting against it.
But you’ll have photographs that bring you back.
You’ll be able to show your children what you looked like while you were waiting for them.
And someday, they’ll be able to see themselves before they were even born.
That’s what makes maternity photography so meaningful.
What Happens After Your Maternity Session?
If you’re planning newborn photographs as well, your maternity session is the perfect time to begin thinking about your newborn photography session.
The newborn stage arrives quickly, and those first few weeks can become a blur.
I offer relaxed newborn photography designed to document your baby naturally, including the tiny details and the connection between your family.
For families in Raleigh and Wake Forest, in-home newborn photography can be especially convenient. Instead of packing up your new baby and everything you need to leave the house, your photographer comes to you.
Your newborn session can take place in the comfort of your own home while you settle into life with your new baby.
When Should You Book Your Maternity and Newborn Photographer?
If you’re expecting a baby in the Raleigh, Wake Forest, Cary, Durham, or greater Triangle area, I recommend reaching out while you’re still pregnant.
Maternity sessions are typically scheduled around 28–34 weeks, while newborn sessions are planned around your baby’s expected arrival.
You don’t need to know exactly when your baby will be born.
We’ll use your due date as a starting point and adjust the newborn session once your baby arrives.
Let’s Document This Season
Pregnancy is such a short chapter in your family’s story.
Your body is changing.
Your family is changing.
And you’re waiting to meet the person who will change everything.
Whether this is your first baby or you’re adding another little one to your family, I would love to document this season for you.
If you’re searching for a Raleigh maternity photographer, Wake Forest maternity photographer, or Raleigh newborn photographer, I’d love to help you create photographs that feel beautiful, natural, and completely personal to your family.
Ready to plan your maternity session? Contact Linsley Schneider Photography to inquire about availability and let’s start planning your session.
