10 Maternity and Pregnancy Photos All Moms-To-Be Should Take

When you are pregnant it is a very special time that needs to be treasured and remembered. It is difficult to remember every minute detail of the pregnancy once the baby is born, so the best way of treasuring the memories is by taking photos and storing them in a book that you can look through time and time again.

Think about the types of pregnancy photos you would like to take and ask yourself where will these be taken? At what stage of pregnancy would you like to take them? Would you like them to be taken when you are on your own or when you are with your partner? It is better to get a good mix of photos so that each stage of your pregnancy can be treasured. If you are going to take the photo's yourself, be prepared to take a lot before you get the one that you love.

So now you've taken pregnancy photos with your children and alone, it's time to have some fun with your partner. You'll want to treasure these moments together as a couple. Before long, the baby will be here and you might not get the same opportunities. Taking photos as a couple is important as it shows your commitment as a couple and to your beloved baby.

Hand in hand shows the love that you have for one another as a couple. You could do this simply showing the bump or the full part of the body. Photos holding hands look nice in romantic settings like under a tree, on a beach, during a picnic or even by a lake.

Standing back to back with your partner will really show your bump off. You could do this slightly sideways so you can get both your faces in the picture. You could do it with mom looking into the lens as pop looks into the distance. Alternatively, you could be in a sitting pose, or back to back with hands held also looks good.

Face to face is excellent for intimacy and looking into your partner's eyes. Try taking a photo just before a kiss as this works well for intimacy. Heads touching with hands on your bump also works nicely. Make sure you stand at a slight distance apart so that you can get the important bump in.

A hugging pose is also great and can show different emotions and feelings. You might want to be in the classic hugging pose, hugging from behind also works well as it will show the bump off more clearly. Side hugging is also a possibility as you face the camera, your partner turns away.

Kissing is the perfect way of showing your love and affection for one another. There is the upside down kiss which will show your bump off well in the photo. The forehead kiss is relatively easy, but effective and perfect for capturing emotions.

A photo on the beach looks amazing, this can capture many lovely colors and is a pretty scene. You could even wait till sunset so that you can add soft colors to your photo. What better way of enjoying a day at the beach with your partner? Then watch the sunset as you capture the moments.

Heart hands work really well too. This is where you will form your hands and your partner's into a heart shape over the bump. Since you love the baby growing inside of you, this is the perfect shot. Using black and white is also very effective and easy to do. You could also use pictures of hearts or explore with your own ideas.

If you already have children, then a sibling photo is a great idea. Your child could be kissing the bump or simply cuddling up to mom along dad. Play with your children to make sure they are happy and entertained or the photo might not work. The success of this photo relies on the mood your child is in at the time of the photo. Make sure your children take part in the photo as much as you do. It is part of the family bonding time as everyone is anticipating the day of the birth.

If you are pregnant during the fall, make sure you get a photo with a pumpkin. Your baby will be about the size of a pumpkin so it makes sense to get this shot. Choose a unique setting, a pumpkin patch would be ideal, a park or a farmer's field. Use your imagination and play around with the shots till you get the perfect picture with your partner. Be prepared to get a few shots that are less than perfect, but out of the many you take, there will be one or two that stand out and make the experience worthwhile.

Cute props work a treat and a baby's pair of booties look lovely next to the bump. Props should have some special meaning so maybe there is an outfit you have put aside for the big day? Both of you must play around with props to get a fantastic shot.

Although it is possible to hire a professional photographer to take pregnancy photos, there is a lot to be said for taking your own photos. Not only it's good fun, but it's also a lot cheaper and it is a truly wonderful experience. When taking pregnancy photos, if you take them month by month you won't miss a moment of this wonderful experience. If you take photos each month, you will notice the changes in the size of your bump and be able to compare them.

Take a photo of your positive pregnancy test and your reaction to finding out you are pregnant.

Take the photo in natural light for the best results and in front of a mirror looks effective.

You might want to start using a tape measure to measure the size of your bump and see how it grows in the coming months.

Take photos of your visits to the health care assistant and the time you first see your baby on the ultrasound.

As you are getting bigger now, you definitely want to capture these moments on the photo. You could take a couple's photo with your bump.

You will probably be in a new wardrobe of clothes at this point as your clothes will not fit anymore so take photos of your maternity clothing. Choose a nice outfit and have a romantic stroll with your partner as you capture the memories on camera.

As well as taking photos of your growing bump, you can take photos of the preparations like decorating the nursery. Photograph ways you are anticipating the event like the countdown calendar. What kind of fun you have been up to as a couple. Maybe you had a paint fight decorating the nursery? Or you enjoyed decorating a specific part of the nursery. Take photos of your partner decorating the nursery and photos of you joining in.

Take a photograph of you or your partner holding the photograph from the ultrasound. Do a close-up of the photo from your ultrasound and zoom in on the baby.

Play around with the camera angles as this will get the best effects. Photographs from above are particularly useful at emphasizing the bump. As you prepare for birth take those photos of the countdown to birth and when you go into labor. Take photos of your friends and family around you who are helping with the pregnancy. Treasure the moments you have with your partner and value the last part of pregnancy together.

Whilst some women do not like to be photographed, it is worth taking a few photos of your pregnancy at least. If you don't take photos you might regret it and there is no way of getting that time back again. So seriously consider taking pregnancy photos even if you are feeling self-conscious, embrace your growing bump for all it is and all it means to you. If you don't take photo's you won't have anything to look back on and remember what your bump looked like as it grew. Pregnancy is a time to feel beautiful as you are bringing a new life into the world. It is a time that you may only experience once or twice in your lifetime so it is important to treasure those moments. Make the most of them.