Our Maternity Shoot

As I am nearing the end of my pregnancy, I am filled with all sorts of emotions –    both  excitement and fear!  Excited the fact that we are going to meet our baby soon but fearful of not knowing how my labour will go and how my new chapter will begin.   In reflecting upon these 9 amazing months,   I really love to share with you pictures from our maternity shoot and hope that it will help you gain some insight on pregnancy if you are planning and also some inspiration on your maternity shoot in the future. 

I remembered that around 3 years ago I was contemplating whether I should be a mom or a blogger and I chose to start my blog instead.  In my heart even though we were in our early thirties, had an incredible wedding and have been married for a year or two, I wanted something more for myself than being just a mom or wife – I knew I had to find something that was for me and blogging was that answer.  We did talk about kids briefly and we knew that it was in our future however, we were both not ready then (and still not lol) and I think our baby came at the perfect time.

In the beginning, when we decided to TRY there was some fear that it will take awhile since struggling with fertility is very common and I know that it can happen to me so I was well aware of that.  But luckily, she came pretty instantly to the point where I didn’t even get a chance to prepare (ex. Take prenatal vitamins or stop drinking ) and it did worry me a lot when I found out around the 8 week mark.    Speaking of finding out, I actually discovered that I was pregnant on a blogging beauty trip to Whistler where I was super nauseous on the bus ride and felt like death and I don’t get car sick.  My dear husband was noticing that I was complaining about nausea a lot more (I thought it was just period symptoms) and forced me to take a few pregnancy tests.   When I saw those two lines  I was in total denial  and we were of course just very shocked and went to the doctor right away.  When I first saw that little fetus in the ultrasound I cried because it was such a beautiful sight to see a life was growing inside of me! 

My pregnancy has been relatively smooth with very normal pregnancy symptoms and no complications but there were a couple of things that happened that I want to share with you and hopefully help you in some ways.  As mentioned, she was conceived immediately so I didn’t really time to really research anything so my instinct was to go with an OBGYN! However, I must say I wasn’t really happy with the service or the professionalism I was getting from my doctor and was struggling  for awhile if I should switch to a midwife.  My girlfriend who had a midwife service loved it and recommended it to me.  For some weird reason I got the impression that having a midwife means you are high-maintenance (totally wrong) and I am pretty chilled so I thought a doctor was fine for me until I fell one time on a chair (scariest moment ever) and had to go the ER because I was experiencing abdominal pains (I was totally fine however babies are strong). My decision to change to a midwife came when I fell off that chair and my doctor didn’t even follow up with me and barely remembered anything we talked about.  So if you are wondering if you should go with OBGYN or midwife I would recommend that you interview both the doctor and midwife first and see which ones suits your need more.  I haven’t experienced the labour part with either doctor or midwife yet so I will update that when it happens and talk more about this topic as I think its very important component to your pregnancy. So please do as much research as you can before you choose which is the right care for you.

On a gloomy March day that turned out to be beautiful later, we met our photographer in West Vancouver amongst the rocks and Vancouver horizon. I was unsure about the location at first but when we went it was just the perfect backdrop! Earlier, I had my makeup and hair done with Ksenia (who is the best) where we went for a bolder lip and some loose Hollywood curls which I loved. The dresses were kindly borrowed from a couture atelier by a local designer Catherine Regehr and it was my very first time going into an atelier studio so it was spectacular seeing how everything was handmade. I chose a long black halter gown with some applique at the bottom which was so dramatic and brilliant. Then I went for a shorter navy dress with a chiffon cover-up that looked beautiful when moving around. Lastly, I loved this red satin number (which is part of their new collection) with scallop details at the hem and a high neckline that was very elegant and glamourous.

When taking maternity photos, it is best to place your hand on your belly or to cup your dress at the bottom of your belly to give yourself more definition. Second tip would be to listen to your photographer and the direction they give you but I understand that could be hard at first especially if you aren’t use to the camera. In speaking of photographers, it is so important to find someone that you are comfortable with and or have noticed for a long time. I have been wanting to work with Christie for awhile so I finally decided to contact her and really loved the way she photographs and we worked so well together. Your wedding photographer is also a good place to start so do your research and don’t leave this till last minute you want to plan this very well. Third , pick a location that allows you to have different looks and don’t have to move around a lot cause its such a pain. Be organized with your outfits and also try to choose a secluded area where you can change in your car! Lastly, I would say go easy on the props and just choose simple things like a baby shoe or balloon because unless its a styled shoot with a planner its going to be hard carrying everything around and really it should be about you two and the bump!

I honestly didn’t really think much about pregnancy beforehand but now that I have almost gone through it I have to say it has been a lot more difficult than I have imagined, especially the third trimester.  The constant changes to your body and now in my 37 weeks I can barely move, breathe or sleep etc.. its hard to bare.  I  also freak out with any little changes now because I think I might be in labour but I know that once I see my baby girl it would be all worth it 🙂  I am so thankful to have my husband who has to wake up  in the middle of the night to get me water, go for walks in the evening and talk with me until I fall asleep.  He is constantly on edge looking out for me and have to work so I am so thankful that I always have a reliable and attentive partner like him. Remember that this process isn’t just about you or the baby, its also about your partner so try not to neglect them especially after the baby comes.  

 One of my biggest fear (other than labour) is that fact that sometimes you become full mom and lose yourself in the process.  I don’t want that to ever happen to me or to us.  I want to be the best mom and a loving wife and fashion blogger as I have always been.  Hopefully I can have it all!  

And finally to our daughter: 
Your dad and I are so incredibly blessed to have you come into this world and  be a part of our lives.  I dream about you everyday and I don’t know if I will be the best mom (if there is such a thing) but I know I will always love you and encourage to be yourself.  I hope you grow up strong and find happiness like I did with your amazing dad.    See you soon baby girl mommy and daddy loves your very much xoxo

Thanks for reading!

::Details::
Dresses all by Catherine Regehr (Thank you)
Shoes: Stuart Weitzman
Babyshoes:  lussobaby (Thank you)
Hair & Makeup Ksenia (Thank you)
​Balloon: Balloon Studio

Photography: Christie Graham Photography

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