Why I Decided That My Fourth Pregnancy Was the Right Time for a Maternity Photo Shoot

Here’s the truth. For the longest time I thought that maternity photo shoots were kind of silly… not for other women, but for me anyway. I am by no stretch of the imagination a model. I feel totally awkward in front of a camera, I have no idea how to pose properly, and most days you can find me rocking a pair of yoga pants, so just the thought of getting all dolled up at nearly 35 weeks pregnant, and having a professional take my photos made me laugh.

But, here’s the thing. Somewhere during the course of this fourth, and likely final pregnancy of mine, I decided that I deserved the right to glamorize it and to commemorate it. For the last six plus years I have completely dedicated my life and my body to growing and nurturing babies. I have carried them, and birthed them, and nursed them, and sadly, the carrying them part is soon going to come to an end for me, whether I’m prepared for it, or not. Being pregnant has been a HUGE part of my life, perhaps it has been the hugest, and despite the parts of it that have been less than glamorous, it has been one of the greatest parts of my life and one of my biggest joys.

So, a couple of months ago, I got an idea, and I decided that I was going to go for it. Uncomfortable and awkward or not, I was going to put on gorgeous gown, style my hair, and apply some make up, and me and my massive bump we’re going to strut our stuff in front of a camera. I wanted something to embrace this time of my life, something to look back on and cherish, and I knew that if I didn’t just go for it, I would likely regret it.

There have been two distinct times in my lifetime where I can recall feeling really and truly beautiful. One of those times was on my wedding day and the other was, without question, the day that I had these photographs taken. Leading up to the day, I had envisioned in my mind exactly what I wanted my maternity shoot to look like. I never dreamed that my vision could become a reality though. Let’s be honest, I don’t look the same now after carrying four babies, as I did on my wedding day, but Carly from Carly Landolt Photography made my vision come to life, yet even better. When she sent over the gallery and I opened it, I literally let out a squeal. I had been so nervous on the way to this shoot, but I swear that Carly worked some kind of magic on these photos, because I couldn’t be happier with how they turned out. I’m so glad that I decided to go for it. These photos and this era of my life are something that I will treasure, always.