When to Take Maternity Photos: Best Week for Pictures
One of the most common questions I hear from expecting moms is, “When should I take maternity photos?” And while there are plenty of answers online that give you a specific week, the truth is that the perfect timing is a little more personal than that.
After photographing women and families for almost 20 years, my general recommendation for when to take maternity photos is between 30 and 34 weeks. That is usually the sweet spot when you have a beautiful, round baby bump, but you are still comfortable enough to walk, move, and enjoy your session.
But there are exceptions. Your pregnancy, your body, whether this is your first baby, and even where you are planning to have your photos taken can all affect the perfect timing.
So let’s talk about how I help my clients decide when to take maternity photos and how you can choose the right time for you.
Quick Answer: When to Take Maternity Photos
For most women, the best time to take maternity photos is between 30 and 34 weeks of pregnancy.
Quick Answer
By this point, your belly is usually beautifully round and prominent in photographs, but you are not so close to your due date that swelling, fatigue, or discomfort becomes an issue.
For a first pregnancy, I often recommend scheduling closer to 34 weeks. For a second or subsequent pregnancy, around 30 weeks can be ideal because your belly often becomes round and noticeable sooner.
That said, there is not one perfect week that works for every woman. I have photographed beautiful maternity sessions as early as 24 weeks, and there are plenty of circumstances when earlier is actually better.
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Why 30 to 34 Weeks Is Usually the Best Time for Maternity Photos
When we are deciding when to take maternity photos, we are really trying to find the balance between two things.
We want your belly to be round and prominent enough that it becomes a beautiful focal point in your photographs. But we also want you to feel good.
Toward the end of pregnancy, you may start experiencing more swelling, fatigue, and general discomfort. Since many of my maternity sessions take place at the beach or in beautiful open fields, there is usually at least a little walking involved.
I want you to be able to walk along the beach, move comfortably, snuggle with your partner, play with your older children, and actually enjoy the experience.
That is why 30 to 34 weeks tends to be such a great window for maternity photos.
But I do not look at the number of weeks alone.
Daniele’s Tip: Don’t wait until you are 30 weeks pregnant to start looking for your photographer! I recommend reserving your maternity session around the end of your first trimester, at approximately 13 weeks. My calendar often books up a month or more in advance, and booking early gives us plenty of time to plan your location, wardrobe, and hair and makeup.
Your Body Can Help Determine When to Take Maternity Photos
Every woman carries pregnancy differently, and that is one reason I do not give every client exactly the same recommendation.
Body composition can make a difference.
Petite women and women with shorter torsos sometimes develop a noticeable round belly earlier in pregnancy. Taller, leaner women with longer torsos may not show quite as early.
Whether this is your first pregnancy matters, too.
With a first pregnancy, your abdominal muscles often hold on a little longer, so your belly may take longer to become as prominent. That is why I often photograph first-time moms closer to 34 weeks.
With a second, third, or subsequent pregnancy, that round belly often appears much sooner. In those cases, photographing closer to 30 weeks can be perfect.
There is not a magic date on the calendar. The goal is simply to photograph you when you have that beautiful round bump while you are still feeling comfortable and mobile.
Are 24 to 28 Weeks Too Early for Maternity Photos?
Not necessarily!
I recently photographed a maternity session for a mom who was only 24 weeks pregnant, and she already had the sweetest little round belly. Her photos were beautiful!
I also photograph many women who come to Santa Barbara for a babymoon. In that situation, when to take maternity photos may be determined partly by travel.
Most expecting moms are not planning a big trip at the very end of pregnancy because of travel restrictions, so their Santa Barbara babymoon may happen earlier than my typical 30 to 34 week window. That is completely fine!
If you have a visible bump, we can create beautiful maternity photographs.
Posing and camera angles make a difference here, too. With almost 20 years of experience posing women, I know how to position your body and photograph your belly so that we can emphasize that beautiful round shape, even if your session is a little earlier in pregnancy.
Daniele’s Tip: If you are planning maternity photos during your Santa Barbara babymoon, do not worry about trying to time your trip around the “perfect” maternity photography week. Plan your trip for when you feel comfortable traveling. We can work with where you are in your pregnancy.
Planning a babymoon in Santa Barbara? Click here to read my top suggestions for your Santa Barbara Babymoon!
When Should You Take Maternity Photos With Twins or a High-Risk Pregnancy?
If you are expecting twins, have a high-risk pregnancy, have a history of early delivery, or are experiencing significant discomfort, I may recommend scheduling your session earlier. Every pregnancy is different, so I always encourage my clients to talk with their doctor about what is appropriate for them. You can also learn more about what to expect from prenatal care through the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
Twin pregnancies tend to show sooner, so there usually is not a reason to wait until the traditional 30 to 34 week window.
The same applies if you have a history of early delivery or significant discomfort.
In these situations, figuring out when to take maternity photos is less about following a standard photography recommendation and more about choosing a time when you and your doctor feel comfortable.
I would much rather photograph you a few weeks “early” than have you miss the opportunity altogether because we waited for an arbitrary week on the calendar.
Is 35 or 36 Weeks Too Late for Maternity Photos?
No.
If you are 35 or 36 weeks pregnant, you are feeling good, and you suddenly realize you really want maternity photos, please do not assume you have missed your chance.
I will happily photograph you if I have room on my calendar.
The bigger issue at that point is usually availability, not being ‘too big’.
I often book four weeks or more in advance, so finding a last-minute evening can be difficult, especially during my busier seasons. If you are already late in your third trimester, reach out as soon as possible and I will let you know what I have available.
As long as you are comfortable and your doctor has not given you any restrictions, we can still create gorgeous maternity photographs later in pregnancy.
When Should You Book Your Maternity Photographer?
This is where I think there is sometimes confusion between when to take maternity photos and when to actually book them.
Those are two very different things.
I recommend contacting me and reserving your maternity session at around 13 weeks, near the end of your first trimester.
Your actual session may not take place until somewhere between 24 and 34 weeks, or occasionally even later. Booking early simply gives us time.
And there is more to plan than people sometimes realize.
We will talk about the location that best fits the look you want. You will have time to shop for a dress and exchange it if it does not fit the way you expected. If you would like professional hair and makeup, I can help you with recommendations. I work with artists in Santa Barbara as well as Ventura County and Malibu.
Most importantly, you will not reach your third trimester only to discover that the photographer you wanted is already booked.
What Is the Best Time of Day for Beach Maternity Photos?
For my beach maternity sessions, I typically begin about an hour to an hour and a half before sunset.
I love soft evening light, but I do not necessarily want to wait until the sun is almost completely gone.
My photography has a light, airy, natural look, so I prefer to begin while there is still plenty of beautiful light in the sky. Starting a little earlier also keeps the colors softer rather than allowing the photographs to become overly orange or saturated as the sun gets very low.
We can still photograph as the sun moves toward the horizon, but starting earlier gives us more variety and keeps the overall gallery consistent with the timeless, natural style you see throughout my work.
This is one of the reasons I love beach maternity sessions so much. They are relaxed, they are surprisingly quick, and the combination of an expecting mother, a beautiful dress, movement, and soft coastal light is hard to beat.
What If I Don’t Feel Photogenic While I’m Pregnant?
This is probably one of the most common concerns I hear.
Most women have not been professionally photographed like this before. Add in a body that is changing every week, and it is completely understandable to wonder:
What am I supposed to do? How should I stand? What if I do not look good?
You do not need to know what to do or how to pose.
That’s my job!
I have been photographing and posing women for almost two decades, and I have learned how much small adjustments can change a photograph. I pay attention to your chin, your neck, your arms, your hands, your posture, your angles, and, of course, your belly.
I know the little posing adjustments that can slim areas you may feel self-conscious about while still emphasizing your beautiful round bump.
You do not need to show up knowing your angles or practicing poses in the mirror.
I’ve got you!
What Should I Wear for Maternity Photos?
Your clothing can make an enormous difference in the final photographs, particularly when we are trying to emphasize the shape of your belly.
I love dresses with movement, soft fabrics, and silhouettes that define the belly without feeling overly restrictive. Your wardrobe should also work with your location and the overall feeling you want from the photographs.
Once you’re session is booked, I will help you plan all of this.
This is another reason I recommend booking early. If you are ordering a dress online, you want enough time to try it on, see how it photographs, and find something different if it does not feel right.
For much more on this, I have put together a complete guide to What to Wear for a Maternity Photo Session
Should My Partner and Older Children Be in My Maternity Photos?
Absolutely!
I always make time for photographs of the mother-to-be by herself because I think those portraits are incredibly special.
But this baby is not arriving in isolation. Your entire family is about to change.
I love photographing an expectant mom with her husband or partner and capturing the relationship between them during this strange, exciting little pause before their baby arrives.
And if you already have children, bring them!
We will photograph little hands on your belly, siblings hugging the baby bump, your child snuggled against you, and the way you look at the child who is about to become a big brother or big sister.
A maternity session is not only about documenting what your body looked like while you were pregnant. It is about documenting your family immediately before it becomes something new.
Do I Really Need Maternity Photos?
Technically? No.
You do not need professional maternity photos, or any photos, really. Photography is a luxury.
But I absolutely think you should take them!
Pregnancy has a funny way of feeling incredibly long while you are in it. Nine months can feel like forever when you are uncomfortable, hot, tired, and counting down the weeks until you meet your baby.
And then it is over.
You will never have this exact pregnancy again.
You will never have another opportunity to photograph this particular baby before he or she was born. Even if you have another pregnancy someday, it will be a different child and a different chapter of your family’s life.
That is why I think the question of when to take maternity photos eventually becomes less important than simply making sure you take them at all.
You will not regret having these pictures.
Maternity Photos Become More Meaningful With Time
My own kids are teenagers now.
At this point, I can hardly remember what it actually felt like to be pregnant with them.
That is something that is difficult to imagine when you are currently pregnant and it feels like you have been pregnant forever. But the farther away you get from this season, the less tangible it becomes.
Five years from now, you will look different. Your baby will be running around your house.
Ten years from now, that baby will be a big kid.
Twenty years from now, you may be looking at these photographs with the adult who was once that tiny bump beneath your hand.
That is when these pictures take on an entirely different meaning.
I have spent so much of my career photographing fleeting seasons of family life, and pregnancy may be one of the shortest of all.
Take the pictures.
So, When Is the Best Time to Take Maternity Photos?
If you are trying to decide when to take maternity photos, start with 30 to 34 weeks as your general guideline.
Then consider you.
Is this your first pregnancy? You may want to photograph closer to 34 weeks.
Is this your second or third baby and you are already showing beautifully? Closer to 30 weeks may be perfect.
Are you expecting twins, experiencing a high-risk pregnancy, traveling for a babymoon, or simply showing earlier? Your session might be better at 24 to 28 weeks.
Are you already 35 or 36 weeks and just realized you want these photographs? If you are feeling good, do not assume it is too late.
The best time is not determined by a rule. It is the point in your pregnancy when your belly is beautifully round, you still feel comfortable and mobile, and we can create photographs that make you feel beautiful.
And if you are unsure, that is something I can help you figure out.
Ready to Plan Your Maternity Photos?
If you are expecting and wondering when to take maternity photos, you do not have to figure out the timing by yourself.
I photograph maternity sessions throughout Ventura County, Malibu, and Santa Barbara, and I will help you choose the timing, location, wardrobe, and details that make the most sense for your pregnancy.
I recommend reaching out around the end of your first trimester so we have plenty of time to plan.
Frequently Asked Questions About When to Take Maternity Photos
How many weeks pregnant should I be for maternity photos?
For most women, I recommend 30 to 34 weeks. This usually gives us a beautifully round belly while you are still comfortable enough to move and enjoy your session.
Is 28 weeks too early for maternity photos?
Not at all. If you are already showing well, expecting twins, traveling for a babymoon, or need to photograph earlier for medical or scheduling reasons, 28 weeks can be a wonderful time. I have photographed beautiful maternity sessions as early as 24 weeks.
Is 36 weeks too late for maternity photos?
Not necessarily. If you are feeling comfortable and your doctor has not restricted your activity, we can absolutely photograph at 36 weeks. Availability may be the bigger challenge, which is why I recommend booking much earlier.
When should I book maternity photos?
I recommend booking at approximately 13 weeks, near the end of your first trimester. This gives us plenty of time to plan your session and helps ensure I have availability during the ideal window for your pregnancy.
When should I take maternity photos with twins?
Twin pregnancies usually show earlier, so I generally recommend photographing earlier than I would for a singleton pregnancy. Your doctor’s recommendations and how you are feeling should always come first.
Can I take maternity photos during my babymoon?
Yes! I photograph many expecting couples who come to Santa Barbara for their babymoon. Your trip may happen earlier than the typical maternity photography window, and that is completely fine. We can use posing and angles to beautifully emphasize your bump.
What time of day should beach maternity photos be taken?
I typically begin beach maternity sessions about an hour to an hour and a half before sunset. This gives us soft, flattering light while keeping the photographs light, airy, and natural.
Should my husband or children come to my maternity session?
Yes. I always photograph the expecting mother by herself, but I also love including partners and older children. Your whole family is about to change, and I think that deserves to be documented too.
Daniele is an award winning maternity, newborn, and family photographer in Southern California. Her timeless and classic imagery has been featured in magazines and blogs worldwide. She is known for her light & airy aesthetic and the authentic and emotive feelings that her photographs evoke. Daniele’s natural light studio is located in Camarillo and she serves the Ventura County, Malibu, Santa Barbara, and Los Angeles areas.
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