As a busy Boston baby photographer, I have the honor of photographing many pregnant mamas over the course of a year. A veteran mother myself, I understand how hard it feels to dress yourself in the third trimester. As a result, I get lots of questions about the ideal clothes to wear for an outdoor maternity photography session.

What To Wear for Your Maternity Photography Session

Let me first say that there is no right answer to this question. Every mother has their own unique style and level of comfort. I can provide suggestions based upon what I have seen, but my suggestions are not right for everyone.

Consider Wearing A Dress to Flatter Your Baby Bump

Towards the end of pregnancy, most every mother I’ve talked to starts to feel a little large and waddly. After all, you’re carrying the weight of a nearly-fully-grown human baby inside of your own body! A maxi dress is a really nice way to flatter that gorgeous bump and skim the body in a nice way. A long dress can minimize the areas that women tend to feel self-conscious about and draw the eye to your belly. I recommend checking out Pink Blush and Old Navy for great, affordable maternity dresses.

Base Your Color Choice on Your Backdrop

Basic what-not-to-wear advice for color choices is: stay away from neons, large logos, overwhelming patterns, and horizontal stripes. Other than that, best practices vary based upon your location and the season!

If your maternity photography session is taking place from May-September try not to wear green tones. The landscape here in the Boston area is so lush, you don’t want to blend in. Instead, plan to wear a color that will pop and help you stand out from the background.

Not a Dress Person?

If you are not a “dress person” that’s totally OK. What I like about dresses is their body-skimming tendencies, the movement we are able to incorporate when walking, twirling, swinging, and how they make a pregnant woman’s belly look. Some of these same attributes can be mimicked with other choices. Skinny jeans or leggings with a flowy lace blouse is a great choice. In cooler temperatures, a long cardigan, pashmina, or shawl can provide nice draping and movement.

Be Comfortable

Whether or not you decide to wear a dress, I want you to be comfortable and feel confident in your selection. I want you to be able to move around (within reason) with your partner so that we can make some gorgeous images to remember this special time in your lives!