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5 Ways to Document the Journey from Pregnancy to Parenthood Through Photos


baby girl wrapped in pink sleeps on back against pink backdrop

Welcoming a new life into the world is a momentous journey–one filled with anticipation, joy, and countless precious moments! For excited and eager parents-to-be, documenting this incredible experience through photography is a powerful way to freeze-frame these memories to revisit time and time again. In this blog post, I'll share how you can use both professional and home photography to capture all of the angles of stepping into parenthood so you can enjoy every perfect moment for a lifetime.



Capturing the Bump: Pregnancy Photos

  • Professional Maternity Photoshoots: Perhaps one of the most common ways to celebrate the beauty of pregnancy, maternity photoshoots capture your adorable bump in the month or two before your baby arrives. Maternity photos are a great way to remember your pregnancy and they make for beautiful keepsakes for your family. Want to know more? Here's a blog post that answers all of your maternity session FAQs! If you're interested in booking a Colorado Springs maternity session, you can click here.

  • Weekly or Monthly Bump-Dates: A fun project to do at home is to take your own weekly or monthly "bump-date" photos to document your growing belly over the course of your pregnancy. These can be done using various fruits to show the baby's current size at each milestone, you can use body paint to write the week or month on your bare tummy, or you can use balloons with the week or month written on them and blow them up a little more for each photo to symbolize your growing baby. No matter how you decide to do a bump-date series, you'll love participating in this fun little pregnancy tradition.

  • Intimate Moments: Candid photos of your partner touching or kissing your growing belly, short videos of your belly moving as the baby kicks, random mirror selfies as your belly grows, and other precious, intimate moments also make for enjoyable memories that you'll be happy you captured!

The Nesting Phase: Patiently Waiting for Baby

  • Nursery Sneak Peeks: Planning a big nursery renovation? Or maybe you're excited to decorate your child's room and want to document the process. Either way, taking photos of your nursery can be a fun way to document the nesting process as you're painting an accent wall or hanging wallpaper, picking out crib sheets, and hand-selecting adorable artwork for the walls.

  • Ultrasound Snapshots: Ultrasounds are a coveted part of pregnancy, allowing you to sneak an early peek at your new addition. Consider using these special photos in a fun collage for the nursery, as part of your baby book, or as custom artwork that you can have commissioned by a local artist or through a service like this one (not sponsored).

The Big Arrival: Birth Photography

  • Labor & Birth Photography: Birth is a very personal experience for everyone. While not for everyone, many expecting parents consider hiring a birth photographer to capture the raw and emotional moments of their labor and birth. These types of photos help to preserve the strength and resilience of the birthing parent during this special and vulnerable time.

  • First 48 Photos: If photos of your birth do not appeal to you, another option for capturing your child's earliest moments are first 48 images, which take place in the first 48 hours of your baby's life. These can be done professionally or on your own using your digital camera or mobile phone. The intention with photos like these is to capture your time in the hospital or birth center as a brand new family. You can capture your baby's first feed, detail photos of their tiny feet and hands, an announcement photo, skin-to-skin cuddles, and more.


newborn baby boy in light blue outfit snoozes against dark blue backdrop

New Beginnings: Newborn Photography

  • Professional Newborn Photos: Newborn photos capture the earliest days in your newborn's life and, much like with maternity photos, they provide a beautiful keepsake that you'll cherish for a long time. You can request photos of just your newborn, your newborn with the family, or a combination of both, depending on your vision for your session. Newborn photos make beautiful artwork to hang in your home, can be turned into a lovely photo album, and can even be turned into nursery artwork for your baby's room. Learn more here. If you're interested in booking a Colorado Springs newborn session, click here.

Milestones and Memories: Baby's First Year

  • Professional Milestone Photos: If you love having professional photos taken, you might also consider milestone sessions. Milestone sessions are a fun way to document your baby's growth over their first year, especially since children grow so quickly in their early years. You can document their favorite toys through themed sessions, include special items in their photos (like a favorite baby blanket, etc.), or you can keep it simple and let your child's adorable face show how much they've grown. Take a look at these popular milestone session themes! Book your milestone session here.

  • Professional Cake Smash Sessions: On their first birthday, a cake smash photo session is a fun way to document your baby's big day. You'll love looking back on those photos as your child grows up! Here's a fun blog post about Cake Smashes and how to get the perfect photos to show your little one's personality. Learn more here.

  • Candid Everyday Moments: Capture the spontaneous, unscripted moments that define the early days of parenthood with daily photos on your digital camera, polaroid camera, or mobile phone. You can even turn any digital photos you take into a fun keepsake album through an automatic service like Chatbooks (not sponsored).



The transition from pregnancy to parenthood is a whirlwind of emotions and experiences. Through the lens of a camera, these moments can be frozen in time, creating a visual narrative that you'll cherish for a lifetime. Whether it's the radiant glow of the expecting mother, the tender moments of your newborn's first days, or the joyous chaos of family life, documenting the journey in photos will allow you to relive and share the magic of this extraordinary chapter. As time passes, these photographs become not just images, but cherished memories, a testament to the love and growth that define the beautiful adventure of parenthood.




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Are you interested in scheduling your Colorado Springs maternity, newborn, or milestone photography session? Click Here

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