I admit I’m a vain person when it comes to taking photos. I even have a side I must take pictures on.  If I can’t take the photo from that angle, I opt out.  Snobby I know, but I don’t like to be captured in time looking like a disaster.  Who does? At least if people see me in person looking like a hot mess, which is a lot by the way, their memory of me will soon fade. Pictures however last for-ev-er; and with all the social media and sharing sites out there your photos can reach thousands of people in seconds.

To quickly elaborate on the origin of my bad-picture phobia: I grew up in the South, we don’t even go to the gas station unless you are dolled up.  That’s the way it is. When you look your best, you feel your best. Even nine years as a Chicagoan, I still never leave the house without mascara and lip gloss on. Those I am taking to the grave with me.  I know I will get some hate mail saying pregnant women are beautiful and I shouldn’t be such a diva. I agree with you and admitted I am a vain b*tch when it comes to photos. Other pregnant women are beautiful and even if I was one of those other women, I feel far from sexy when pregnant.  There is nothing wrong with that, and I am sure I am not alone. If you feel amazing and sexy while pregnant, I commend you and secretly hate you. Truth.

When deciding on whether or not to take pregnancy photos I thought long and hard.  Do I want people to see me looking like an Umpa Lumpa?  Do I want people to see my belly button all stretched out like a bad yoga pose?  Do I want people to see my enormous boobs?  Ultimately I decided to take them because I didn’t take pictures with my first pregnancy and have regretted not doing so.  Back then I was working sixty-plus hours a week and there was always tomorrow. Well, tomorrow came and went and suddenly my baby was here. I missed an opportunity I can never get back.

This time around I wanted to capture the moment- swollen face and all. Ultimately the idea of pregnancy is – beautiful. I loved the outcome and am so glad I took the time, and put aside my southern princess roots, to capture baby Alex in the womb.

I posted them on Pinterest under pregnancy photo ideas and they have received a lot of re-pins. This led me to share with all of you.  My husband took these with our camera, a Nikon D60.  Then I used iPhoto on my laptop to soften them up and add some filters.  Photo shoots and prints are expensive so this was a great, free alternative.  Here’s to women and their baby makers.