I have dreamt about being pregnant my entire life. I fantasized about being this beautiful, glowing goddess with a big gorgeous belly for 9 whole months. This being my first pregnancy, I  quickly came to realize that my dreams were only just that. The first 4 months were a roller coaster emotionally. It really took a while for it to set in that I was actually pregnant. Although I  never experienced any morning sickness and didn’t have any complications, I felt such a disconnect from what I thought being pregnant would be like. Having my body go through so many changes so early on, not being able to tell anyone that we were pregnant, wearing jeans that were too tight and dealing with my skin breaking out,  really started to get to me.  I remember saying to my husband, ” this is just not what I thought pregnancy was going to be like.” Then it all magically changed….

Once I hit the 20 week mark, all of our friends and family knew the news, my skin had cleared up and I was visibly pregnant. There was no hiding it now!  I really started to embrace my bump and feel good in my own body again. Our babymoon trip to Maui in June, really helped me to relax and reconnect with my husband. Lots of sleep, talking, good food, sunshine, walks on the beach and fresh air was exactly what I needed to feel good for me and for the baby. Since then I have continued to really enjoy and embrace my pregnancy. I was finally ready to capture this moment in time, and who better to do it with than my sister, Kristin, of Studio 86 Creative Design. Kristin helped me to bring VONBON to life, and has been photographing all of my maternity fashion shoots for the blog. I couldn’t be more grateful for such a talented, supportive sister!

It was really important for me to feel comfortable, so we decided to shoot in my own bedroom. I had created a Pinterest board of maternity photography for my own inspiration and to help give Kristin an idea of the “look and feel” I wanted to capture in the photos. The board  was also a nice reference point for body positioning….as I have never been pregnant before and this was Kristin’s first maternity shoot as well. Lighting was key and we found that using some sheer drapes helped to diffuse the light and give us the “glow” we wanted! A little tip I read on the Plan your baby moments app from Canon.

Kris and I were having so much fun we decided to follow the sun outside and see what we could capture at Jericho Beach.

For all you mamas who are toying with the idea of doing a maternity shoot, I highly encourage you to. Embrace and celebrate your body during this amazing time in your life. Take the time for yourself, to get into something comfortable… something that makes you feel beautiful, because YOU are!

Need some inspiration or want to create your own Pinterest board? You can pin any of the images from this post or take a peek at my board here!

Series 1: Bra and pantie set from Victoria Secret, Lace trimmed Kimono from IWEARTHEHEADRESS; Series 2: Bra from Victoria Secret, Mauve Lace Top from Wilfred; Series 3: Sweater from Old Navy, panties from La Senza; Series 4: Lace Dress from Volcom; Series 5/6: Body Con Grey Dress from Forever 21

Photography by: Studio 86 Creative Design  Follow her on Instagram or Facebook