The Best Weeks to Book Maternity Photos

If you're wondering when to do maternity photos, the short answer is 30 to 36 weeks.

Most of my sessions happen at 32 to 34. Your belly has a beautiful round shape by then, and you've usually still got the energy to walk, move and laugh your way through an hour of photographs.

That range answers it for most pregnancies. A twin pregnancy shifts it earlier, and so does a history of babies arriving ahead of schedule.

When you book a Sydney maternity session with me, I'll ask how you're feeling before the date is locked in, because how you're travelling in a given week tells me more than the number on the calendar does.

Why 32 to 34 weeks is my favourite window

By 32 weeks you're unmistakably pregnant, and the shape reads clearly in a photograph even through a flowing dress.

You're also still moving easily. You can walk to a spot, sit down in the grass, stand back up, and turn towards the light without thinking about it.

That ease is most of what makes a session feel like a lovely evening rather than an appointment. It's why I'd sooner photograph you a fortnight early than a fortnight late.

When to do maternity photos with twins

Twins tend to arrive earlier, often around 36 weeks, and you'll measure ahead of a single pregnancy the whole way through.

So the window moves forward. Aim for 26 to 30 weeks, with 28 as a good middle.

You'll have a generous belly by then and you'll still be comfortable on your feet, which is the combination I'm looking for.

Giving yourself room before baby arrives

Deciding when to do maternity photos is partly about leaving room for a baby with plans of their own.

Plenty of babies arrive before the due date, so finishing by 36 weeks means the photographs are done with weeks in hand.

If you've had a baby before, tell me when they came. Someone whose first arrived at 37 weeks gets booked at 30 or 31, and that's a week I feel good about.

Comfort, swelling and the time of day

Mornings are kind to hands, feet and ankles, because swelling settles overnight and builds through the day.

Late afternoon light is the softest though, so in summer I usually shoot in the hour before sunset and ask you to keep the day leading into it gentle.

Wear something loose on the drive over and slip your shoes off in the car. Elastic marks settle within about 20 minutes, and I'll start with seated frames while they do.

Bring water. There are breaks, you'll be sitting often, and most of the session happens at your pace.

When to get in touch, and when to shoot

Getting in touch and being photographed sit at different points in the pregnancy.

Most people reach out somewhere between 12 and 20 weeks, once the news is out and the nausea has eased. That's when the calendar is open and you can have the weekend you want.

Weekends fill first, particularly in spring and autumn, when the light across the Hills District is at its best.

If you're already at 30 weeks and only thinking about it now, get in touch anyway. I hold a few dates each month for exactly that.

Lining up maternity and newborn

Plenty of families book both at once, and it's the easier way to do it.

Newborn sessions sit in the first 2 weeks, and those dates get chosen from an estimate rather than a certainty, so there's more on when to book newborn photos in its own post.

Booking them together means one conversation now, and nothing left to organise in the fortnight you'll want to spend on the lounge.

Getting ready for the week itself

Once your date is set, the only real preparation is deciding what to wear, and bringing 2 options so you can change halfway through.

Book a trim a week or 2 out rather than the day before, and keep the evening before free so you arrive unhurried.

My favourite frames from these sessions are rarely the posed ones. They're a partner resting a hand on your belly without being asked, or the laugh when you realise you can't see your own feet.

Those happen at every week of the range, so pick the week you feel best in and I'll build the session around it.