When to take maternity photos is up to you… but before pregnancy week 34 is ideal.
If you’re wondering when to take maternity photos or how far in advance you need to book your maternity session, read this!
Don’t wait to take photos until late in your pregnancy! As a maternity photographer in Rochester NY, I recommend taking maternity photos between week 28-34 for a few different reasons.
In my experience, there is a sweet spot when it comes to the best time to take maternity photos. But it can vary person to person. In general, I recommend planning for around week 31.
Here are things to consider when deciding when to take maternity photos:
1. Energy and Stamina
This is the most important consideration, in my opinion. It’s also where personal preferences can and should come into play because pregnancy seems to effect everyone differently. Only you know your body, how you’re feeling, and what your limitations are now or might become in the future.
A full maternity sessions can feel like a workout and only gets harder the further along you get. Sessions can last for up to 3 hrs in some cases! And if you want maternity photos in nature, then you need all the energy you can get that day!
Have you tried walking on sand lately? It’s hard on a normal day, let alone 8 months pregnant!
You might be one of the lucky ones and have been feeling GREAT through pregnancy. Then maybe you can give it more time!
But if you’re like so many and pregnancy has been HARD, I might recommend an earlier session for you. Depending on your situation, I’d recommend later than pregnancy week 32.
Even if pregnancy has been a breeze, after week 35, you could start experiencing pelvic floor pain and/or lower back pain. You might not be sleeping well and have low energy. Swelling could be an issue, too! It’s very common to have swelling in the feet and legs later into your 3rd trimester.
So, all that’s to say, the exact sweet might be different for you vs. someone else. In general, the earlier the better and before week 34 is my honest recommendation.
2. Room for Rescheduling
Life happens! So my advice is to book your maternity photos earlier rather than later so you have wiggle room to reschedule, if something comes up!
Also, let’s face it, babies make their appearance whether you’re ready or not. But in the final month, it could truly happen any day. If maternity photos are important to you, plan ahead and make sure your session happens before baby (and you) start to get antsy.
3. Planning time
It absolutely kills me when people reach out after 35 weeks and we have to rush to plan their maternity photos within a week or two!
If we had more time, you won’t feel rushed to find the right thing to wear or have to settle for a whatever outfits you can pull together quickly!
If you want professional hair and makeup, we may not be able to find an available stylist, or at the very least, book your preferred one.
Planning ahead will give you more time to really think about what you want your maternity photos to look like and it will give us more time to work together to make that vision a reality.
4. Booking your preferred maternity photographer
Did you know that most popular Birth Days are in July, August, September? If you’re expecting in those months, you definitely want to book your preferred maternity photographer as early as possible!
As a maternity & newborn photographer in Rochester NY, my busiest months are May-October.
A majority of my clients book me for both maternity photos and newborn photos (I offer a maternity + newborn session bundle package), so my busy season begins a little earlier than others. It really gets going in May with lots of maternity photos and the season winds down around November after all the of July-September babies are born.
I imagine the same goes for most maternity photographers in the area!
That’s why, if you have a favorite maternity photographer in Rochester NY that you want to take your maternity photos, than I recommend reaching out well BEFORE the end of your second trimester.
I recommend booking and reserving your maternity photographer by pregnancy week 25.
Other tricky times of the year for availability are the Holidays or Summer vacation time. Play it safe, reach out ASAP.
That way, you’ll have more flexibility when it comes to dates to choose from and you won’t miss your chance to work with your first choice maternity photographer.
And hey, if you’re interested in working with me, you can Inquire here! <3
5. BONUS reason why you should take maternity photos by week 34: You can still fit into your favorite pair of jeans (well, sort of)
In general, the longer you wait, the less options you’ll have for what to wear.
What am I missing? Do you agree that maternity photos are best done earlier rather than later in your pregnancy? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
More Resources for Planning your Maternity Photos:
Best Locations for Photos in Rochester NY & The Finger Lakes
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