As a photographer, I often find myself capturing full-circle moments. The sweet transition from maternity to newborn sessions is a perfect example of this. This past summer, P and her husband, O, booked a maternity session with me. Now I don’t play favorites at all, but this shoot was definitely one for the books! From the very beginning, P made it known that she was dedicated to incorporating her Mexican heritage and honoring her late father within this shoot.
For one of her looks, she went so far as to tailor a traditional Mexican dress into a two-piece to show off her beautiful belly. The last thing we wanted to do was take away from this vibrant cultural piece, so in terms of the background, we opted for a neutral green backdrop. In order to add to the dress as opposed to taking away from it, we surrounded her with lots of real and faux greenery.
Throughout the session, we shot a variety of poses that honed in on not only her belly but the tattoo of her father’s initials on the inside of her wrist. Months later, P returned with her baby boy S for a newborn shoot, where the theme from her maternity transferred on. We swaddled him in green and set some leaves behind him. Baby S was a natural in front of the camera, just like his parents!
P’s vision was one I had so much fun executing. It warms my heart to capture moments like such, especially when there’s so much sentiment behind them. Thank you so much, P & O, for trusting me with this, and congratulations on your beautiful baby boy!
We love our clients and sharing their stories, so we asked P to give us the lowdown on her pregnancy journey, motherhood, and her experience with our DMV Maternity and Newborn Photo Sessions.
IF YOU COULD DO ONE THING DIFFERENTLY DURING YOUR PREGNANCY, WHAT WOULD IT BE AND WHY?
I would have spent more time researching feeding and all the options, pros and cons, and issues that can arise for each. Breastfeeding, combination feeding, exclusively pumping, formula feeding, etc. Each method has its pros and cons and it’s important to do what works best for your particular family and baby because no two babies are the same. There are so many resources out there so it’s good to spend some time thinking about your approach and what you’ll do when and if challenges with that approach arise. It’s okay to pivot if needed – but knowing what options exist and how you’ll approach various issues whether breastfeeding or otherwise helps. I also recommend looking up the Thompson Method for pain-free breastfeeding tips for those considering breastfeeding.
WHAT IS ONE PRODUCT THAT WAS A LIFESAVER DURING PREGNANCY?
In my first trimester preggy pops (anti-nausea candies you can find on Amazon) and an anti-nausea wristband truly were life savers for my nausea. Jolly ranchers work well too! A good pregnancy exercise ball was great towards the end to help with exercises to prepare your body for labor.
WHAT IS ONE ITEM YOU CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT NOW THAT THE BABY IS HERE?
Definitely, his pack-and-play has been super helpful so that we don’t have to go upstairs to his nursery for diaper changes and he can also safely nap in the bassinet attachment to the pack-and-play while downstairs. A good baby carrier also helps a lot for a baby who loves contact naps!
IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE ABOUT YOUR PREGNANCY JOURNEY THAT MAY HELP OTHERS FACING SIMILAR ISSUES?
My biggest advice to any prospective mom or soon-to-be mom is to (as hard as it can be at times) give yourself grace and remember that comparison is the thief of joy. No path to motherhood or motherhood experience is the same but each journey can be beautiful and rewarding in the end. Identifying who can be part of your support system and not being scared to or feeling guilty to ask for help when you need it is important also.
HOW WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH D2D FOCUS BY BONNIE-LOVE?
We had a great experience with D2D focus. Bonnie went above and beyond to capture our vision for both our maternity photos and newborn photos and we’re so happy with the results. We are so glad we went with D2D to capture this special time for our family and loved that D2D helped us incorporate some of our Mexican culture in the photos.
ANYTHING ELSE YOU’D LIKE TO ADD?
To any soon-to-be mom or current mama reading this – you’re doing a great job! Cherish the good moments and know that for any pregnancy or parenting challenge you’ve faced there are likely hundreds if not thousands of moms who have experienced the same.
