While being pregnant does come with its own challenges, it’s still such a precious time in your life and one that should always be captured.

Your photographer is going to help you capture that radiance and glow that you naturally exude as an expectant mother, leaving you with lasting memories that you can share with your child later on in life.

If you’ve recently booked your maternity shoot and are wondering how to prepare for it, here are some helpful tips.

5 Tips for Preparing for Your Maternity Shoot

1. Schedule a pampering session. Your maternity shoot is the perfect reason to pamper yourself a little. On the day before or day of your shoot, go out and get your nails and hair done. When you do your makeup on the day, use a little bit more than you usually would to highlight your best features. Do whatever you need to do to feel great because when you look and feel great, your photos will look amazing too.
2. Discuss a shoot style. Before you meet with your photographer to discuss the final details of your shoot, have a style or vision in mind. If you’re on Pinterest, create a board with a few shoot style ideas that you can share with your photographer so that they know what you have in mind.
3. Consider using props. Props always add a nice touch to your maternity photos. This is not to say that every photo should include a prop, it will simply add something different to some of your shots. Flowers, chalkboards, letters, and sonograms are all examples of basic props that you can use to add a special touch to your maternity photos. This is your shoot so only use what feels right and what fits in with your unique style.
4. Plan your outfits. Whether you will be the only one in your photos or will be including other family members, it’s important to plan your outfits out ahead of time. If your husband or your other children will be in the photos, it’s important that your outfits look coordinated. Coordinated doesn’t mean they need to match either, it simply means that each outfit should complement the others. If you’re unsure about which colors work well together, turn to the color wheel for inspiration.
5. Do what you can to relax. Planning your maternity shoot should never be a stressful experience. Just stick to the basics of looking good and your photographer will take care of the rest. If you are feeling stressed, ask your photographer for advice on what you should wear and who they recommend for hair and makeup. The more relaxed you are on the day, the better your photos will turn out.

Don’t forget to speak to your photographer about the best way to print and display your maternity photos.

*and today I'm linking to a Newborn Photographer in Albuquerque.  Scroll through the beautiful maternity images here and then head over to the linked blog post showing her most recent newborn session.