I love maternity photos. Yes you feel awkward in the moment taking photos of possibly the largest you may ever be. But i promise you will not regret it. i love all my expectant and new mamas. they all (and myself included in that stage) have anxiety of the unknown. how will they handle having a baby? what will their new normal be like?

i remember someone told me when i was pregnant with my first and feeling extra large and in charge, “that is the easiest place for that baby to be, in your belly.” i was immediately offended (hormones i guess). but turns out, they were 100% correct!! we all have struggles in different seasons, but one of the hardest for me was post partum depression after my first daughter was born. my goal (other than taking beautiful photos) is to be a source of encouragement to all new and expectant mothers who I am blessed to cross paths with.

Transitioning as a new mother is not exactly what is portrayed on social media. you can read all the books, feel like you are ready to handle anything, etc. It is not always rainbows and butterflies. It is HARD. It is isolating and quiet, but also loud with unfamiliar sounds of crying. It is being so sleep deprived you think you might in fact be going crazy.

But yet there is beauty in the mundane work of motherhood.

You learn to become completely selfless, sacrificing all of your time for this new tiny human to grow and thrive. You slowly but surely survive each day and learn more about what your baby needs. You continue on, even in the middle of the night. Even when you don't think you can, you continue on. You are their safe place.

Yes, they have their days and nights mixed up because when they were in your tummy, they were used to being rocked to sleep all day while you were awake and moving. They were typically awake at night in your tummy while you were laying still. They are confused and have no ability to communicate other than cry. Sometimes they don't even know why they are crying, they just need you near and want to be held. They also literally know when you sit down and may prefer you stand and bounce 23.5 hours per day it seems. They may be in a growth spurt and not quite sure why they are hungry again even though they just ate.

You feel overwhelmed, but know this:

You were created by God to be the mother of your child with a purpose, and you are never alone.

I want all of my new mamas to know that I am your biggest supporter. One of the reasons i love this job so much is that I can form intentional relationships with my clients. i love checking in on new mamas (even weeks after i deliver your gallery) because i truly know what its like to be in complete denial of post partum depression and thankfully, in God’s loving kindness I am on the other side of it.

it is always, always hard to understand why we go through trials but it is always to strengthen us. and when/if that second (or 2nd and 3rd in my case!) baby comes along, I promise you will have the baby routine down and it wont seem as difficult. toddlers are a different story… but all in all, this is your friendly reminder that you are a good mother and you were created by God to be the mother of your child. God has a plan + purpose for all things. If you ever feel the need to talk, I am here to listen!