For some pregnancy is a magical time, for others not so much…but no matter which way you feel about your 9 months with child, documenting this momentous journey is something every woman should do. Whether 26 or 36 at the time of your pregnancy, this is a memorable time that will quickly pass you by. One day you will look back, trying to remember these moments and how the miracle of each hiccup and kick would literally take your breath away. Growing a new life inside ourselves is an amazing thing and those of us lucky enough to experience this need to be thankful. Although the journey is not always easy and the nights oftentimes restless, there is truly something special about each and every pregnancy.
5 Reasons Why Every New Mother Needs Maternity Photos:
To Capture this Special Time.
Believe it or not pregnancy is a phase, a stage, a time in every woman’s life that will not last or even be possible forever. For those of us who are always looking to the future, never slowing down to enjoy the present, these magical moments can literally pass us by in a heartbeat. Between morning sickness, swollen feet and back pain, many women get too caught up in the discomforts of pregnancy to pause and reflect on the truly amazing thing that is happening. A baby, another human, who will one day grow into a living, breathing, thinking, functioning adult is growing inside of your body. Throughout all of this, your body, the mother’s body, is literally fighting both for and against the developing fetus at every turn…there is no other word for this than miraculous. It is impossible to really explain the truly incredible, scientific for some, religious for others, experience happening every day for 9 months inside of a pregnant woman’s body. Capturing these moments is just one simple way to document and remind us of how special these times really are.
To Teach Self-Love.
You are beautiful! Pregnant mamas everywhere are beautiful! Whether you have gained too much weight or developed pregnancy acne, the changes happening in your body everyday make you glow. Pregnant women need to embrace this newfound beauty and run with it. To often we hear complaints from pregnant women about being fat or ugly during these 9 months and this is simply untrue. So many times these soon-to-be-mamas are their own critics and worst enemy, failing to acknowledge their true beauty that comes from within. There is no shame or embarrassment in the daily changes you are withstanding, rather there is elegance in your strength, grace in your endurance and allure in your attitude to tackle the world around you.
To Inspire Self-Confidence.
As women and mothers, we need to stop attacking ourselves and each other. We need to unite and realize that we are oftentimes so intensely disapproving of ourselves that we easily allow others to belittle us as well. Women are some of the strongest, most resilient creatures on Earth and yet we are also some of the least confident, overly critical and unhappy people there are because of our innate need to compare ourselves to others. Self-Confidence is a trait we all talk about inspiring within our children, particularly young women, but this starts at home. Having the self-confidence to get in front of the camera, to love ourselves, to truly believe in our own self-worth at every moment is crucial to embracing our own value. Self-Confidence is beautiful in and of itself, regardless of cellulite, weight gain or swollen ankles.
To be Pampered for a Day.
Let’s be honest…once this baby is born, there will be a long time before most new mothers will get much, if any, time to themselves. Between 2 hour feedings, diaper changes and simply soothing a fussy babe, there will not be much time for mom. So take the time now, make the time now, to relish in the moments before baby. Whether your photos will be you alone, with children or with a spouse, take the time to curl your hair, put on your makeup and simply look your best. Pamper yourself, feel special and pretty as you shyly smile at the camera, take a peek at your ever-growing belly, or gaze into the eyes of the man who is joining you for this adventure of a lifetime. These may be some of the last quiet moments you will have for quite some time. Find some discount baby and maternity clothes from Mothercare.
To Give Your Child a Peek into the Past.
Whether 4-years-old or 40-years-old, being able to see where it all began will enthrall and enchant your child. As an adult looking at old pictures of parents, grandparents and great-grandparents is always exciting as you can see who they were, who they have become, and in some instances remember times shared with them before they passed away. These photos, memories, moments of their lives will always be cherished as they captured both important and inconsequential times, but are what each of us has left to pass on to our own little ones of their family history.
Young children are so often excited by seeing photos of themselves in mommy’s belly. Capturing this time will guarantee special moments in the future where you can cuddle up on the couch and flip through the photo album of your child’s very beginning.
Truth be told, investing in Maternity Photos was not something I ever quite valued until I saw my children’s faces light up when they got old enough to ask about their own beginning. As one child would grow older and see me pregnant with another, the questions, and disbelief that they really came out of mommy’s belly, would begin. As pregnant women, working women, mothers and caretakers, we so frequently forget to take care of ourselves…to pause for a moment and really see how incredible our journey is.
With the 4th and last of my pregnancies coming to an end, I am nostalgic. I can remember every detail down to what I was wearing when I discovered I was pregnant with my first. Share these moments with something better than a cellphone selfie…take the picture, smile for the camera, and one day look back at the glow of your skin, the bulge of your belly, and the light of true love in your eyes.
For answers to most all of your pregnancy questions check out our Pregnancy section on Daily Mom.
Photo Credits: Kristen Lee Creative, Memoirs Photography
