How to Prepare for Your Maternity Photo Session

So, how do you prepare for a maternity photo session?

Start with comfort, choose something that makes you feel beautiful, and don’t worry about knowing how to pose. A little planning ahead with your wardrobe, family outfits, and a few essentials can make the day feel much easier. And once you’re in front of my camera, I’ll help with the rest.

I’ve photographed enough pregnant mamas to know that a maternity session should never feel like one more exhausting thing on your third-trimester to-do list. You’re already growing an entire human. You don’t need homework in modeling, too.

Here’s what I recommend so you can show up feeling prepared, comfortable, and ready to celebrate this season. 💖

What Should You Wear for Maternity Photos?

My number one rule? Wear something that makes you feel beautiful AND comfortable.

Pregnancy is already uncomfortable enough. Your maternity outfit doesn’t need to add to it.

I love flowy dresses because they photograph beautifully, create movement, and can be incredibly flattering. I can also clip and adjust fabric to help define your shape and really accentuate your bump.

I’m also a sucker for feminine textures and details: florals, lace, tulle, soft fabrics, all the pretty things. 🌸

But that doesn’t mean you need to wear a flowy maternity gown just because you’re having maternity photos taken.

Think about how you want your photos to feel.

A huge flowing gown and floral crown in the middle of the woods can give us beautiful goddess or Mother Earth vibes. A mermaid-style dress can be gorgeous standing in a stream. In the studio, a fitted black dress can create something simple and dramatic, while draped fabric can be used for more intimate portraits that show off your bare belly while still giving you as much coverage as you’d like.

Maybe you’re picturing a lace dress in a milk and flower bath.

Or maybe you’re standing in a field in nothing but your favorite jeans, holding a bouquet across your chest.

There isn’t one correct way to dress for maternity photos.

What you choose helps me tell the story of who you are during this season of your life.

If you aren’t sure where to start when preparing for your maternity session, I’m happy to brainstorm with you. I also have several maternity gowns in different colors and sizes in my client closet, along with draping fabrics, floral headbands, and a few stylish hats we can incorporate.

And if you’re still deciding what kind of session feels right for you, you can learn more about my maternity photography experience here.

What Should Your Partner and Kids Wear?

Start with Mom.

Seriously.

This is one of the few times I will happily say that everyone else can be a supporting character. You’re growing the baby. You get to be the star of this particular show. ✨

Choose your outfit first, then coordinate your partner and children with you.

Think about the overall level of dressiness as well as color. If you’re wearing a formal maternity gown, Dad and the kids should probably be at least semi-formal. If you’re going casual, let everyone else be casual too.

Coordinating doesn’t have to mean matching.

If Mom is wearing a red dress, for example, Dad and a little boy might wear khakis and white shirts with a red bow tie for the little guy. A daughter could wear a white dress with red shoes or a red headband. Everyone looks like they belong together without competing with Mom.

And if your children will be joining us, feed them before the session, preferably before you get them dressed.

I’d also avoid scheduling something especially busy or exciting immediately beforehand. Coming straight from a birthday party to family photos sounds super efficient on paper. In practice? It’s a recipe for disaster.

I usually photograph the family portion first. That way we can capture everyone together while the kids are still clean and somewhat willing to participate, then Dad can take them to run around and burn off some energy while we finish the mama-focused part of the session.

Do You Need to Know How to Pose?

Nope.

You don’t need modeling experience, you don’t need to practice poses in the mirror, and you definitely don’t need to arrive knowing what to do with your hands.

I’ll gently guide you into poses and positions that flatter your body and keep the focus where it belongs: on you and that beautiful bump.

I also know that pregnancy can make you feel a little unfamiliar in your own body. My goal isn’t to put you into a technically “perfect” pose that makes you feel awkward. I want to minimize the things you’re feeling self-conscious about and accentuate the features you love.

When partners and children are involved, I also like to loosen things up and incorporate more candid, connection-focused images rather than rigidly posing everyone the entire time.

If you’ve found a pose or image you absolutely love, send it to me! Pinterest boards, screenshots, saved posts… I want to see what you’re drawn to. If we can recreate the idea in a way that works for you and your session, I’m happy to try.

How Long Does a Maternity Photo Session Take?

Most maternity sessions take about 30 minutes to an hour.

Studio sessions tend to move a little more quickly. Outdoor sessions can take longer because we may walk to a few nearby spots for different backgrounds and looks.

We’ll also leave room for real life. You may need a bathroom break, a few minutes to sit down, some water, or time for an outfit change.

I generally wouldn’t expect a maternity session to go beyond about 90 minutes. By that point, you’re probably going to be tired, and I’d rather create beautiful images while you’re feeling good than keep going just for the sake of taking more photos.

Take the break. Sit down. Drink the water.

We are not in a race.

What Should You Bring to Your Maternity Session?

You don’t need to pack for a weekend away, but there are a few things I recommend having nearby:

• Water and a snack
• Comfortable shoes for walking between outdoor locations
• Nude, preferably seamless, bra and underwear
• Hairbrush
• Handheld mirror
• Chapstick
• Makeup for quick touch-ups
• Any meaningful baby items you might want photographed, such as a sonogram or tiny baby shoes

Even if you’re not sure we’ll use a sentimental item, I’d rather you bring it. We can always decide it doesn’t fit the session once we’re there. I’d hate for you to leave it at home and later wish we’d had it.

And about those shoes…

You are absolutely welcome to wear heels in your photos if they’re part of your look. But bring comfortable shoes to walk in.

I once photographed a maternity session at a park where Mom wore heels. Before we were finished, her feet were swollen and aching.

Learn from that mama’s poor feet.

Wear the pretty shoes for the picture, then switch into something comfortable while we walk. Or kick them off altogether. Barefoot maternity photos can be beautiful, too!

How to Prepare for Your Maternity Session: The Day Of

Keep it simple.

This is not the ideal week for a dramatic haircut you’ve never tried before or an experimental spray tan. If you want professional hair and makeup, absolutely go for it. But you don’t need full glam to look beautiful in maternity photos.

Light, natural makeup can keep the attention on your pregnancy glow and growing bump. I recommend avoiding shimmery face and eye makeup because it doesn’t always photograph well.

Wear your hair down if that’s when you feel most beautiful. If you tend to get hot easily, though, a pretty updo might make you much more comfortable, especially during an outdoor session.

And don’t forget about your hands.

Hands naturally end up on your belly in maternity portraits, and I also love close-up images holding a sonogram or tiny baby shoes. If you’re someone who likes polished nails, give them a little attention beforehand.

Dad, I’m looking at your fingernails too.

Jewelry is absolutely welcome if it makes you feel good and feels like you.

Finally, if we’re planning photographs that show your bare belly, avoid tight waistbands or other clothing that could leave deep marks on your skin shortly before the session.

Comfort wins again!

One more wardrobe tip, especially for my fellow pet owners: watch out for lint and pet hair! Some fabrics seems to attract every stray hair within a five-mile radius. Keep a lint roller handy (I usually have one on me at all of my sessions), and give everyone a quick once-over before heading out the door.

What Should You Expect During an Outdoor Maternity Session?

Outdoor sessions give us beautiful opportunities for movement and variety, but keep in mind that we may do a little walking.

That’s another reason comfortable shoes are important.

We’ll move at a pace that works for you. If you need to stop, sit, drink some water, cool down, or use the bathroom, we will.

Being 8-ish months pregnant is not the time to prove your endurance to your photographer. 😅

The location can also become part of the story we’re telling. A wooded setting can feel earthy and romantic. A flower field can feel soft and feminine. Water can create an entirely different mood.

That’s why I like planning the wardrobe and location together rather than treating them as two separate decisions.

What Should You Expect During a Studio Maternity Session?

Studio maternity sessions usually involve less walking and tend to be a little quicker, which can be especially nice when you’re tired or uncomfortable.

They also give us more control over the final look.

We can keep things classic with a fitted dress, use one of my maternity gowns, or create something more intimate with your belly exposed and fabric strategically draped around you.

How much skin you show is entirely up to you.

Your maternity portraits can be modest, glamorous, intimate, dramatic, casual, or somewhere in between. There isn’t a certain amount of skin you need to show for an image to celebrate your pregnant body.

When Is the Best Time to Take Maternity Photos?

For most pregnancies, I consider 32–36 weeks the sweet spot.

By then, your bump is beautifully defined, but you’re generally not quite at the point where those final weeks of pregnancy have completely zapped your energy.

Every pregnancy is different, of course, so we’ll always consider how you’re feeling and your individual circumstances when planning.

One Last Thing: Start With How You Want to Feel

If you’ve booked your maternity session and don’t know what to do next, don’t try to plan everything at once.

Start with you.

How do you want to feel when you look at these photographs?

Soft and feminine? Powerful? Romantic? Earthy? Glamorous? Intimate? Playful? Completely relaxed and yourself?

Then start thinking about what you could wear that makes you feel that way.

Save some inspiration. Browse dresses. Look through your own closet. Send me the Pinterest images you’ve fallen in love with. Or ask me what’s currently available in my client closet.

Once we know what Mom is wearing and the story we’re trying to tell, we can build everything else around her.

Because these photographs aren’t about fitting yourself into somebody else’s idea of what maternity portraits are supposed to look like.

They’re about remembering you, exactly as you were while you were becoming someone’s mama.

Curious about what an outdoor maternity session gallery looks like? You can view a sample gallery from one of my sessions here.