I never shared my maternity photos when I was pregnant with Maddie here on the blog. Although I love how the pics turned out, all I can remember about that day is how exhausted I was. Second pregnancies are no joke! (I can’t even imagine a third – lol!) Graham was so cute back then – such a chubby little guy. But he sure was a handful while we were taking the pics. I didn’t have high hopes when the photographer left. But the photos turned out great – he’s even smiling in most of them!
Here are some tips for taking maternity photos with a toddler older sibling.
1. Consider taking the photos at home.
Like I mentioned before, I was exhausted during my entire pregnancy. The thought of getting us all dressed and ready and then driving to another location was daunting! So I choose to have the photos taken at home. I also think Graham would have been too distracted if we had chosen another location. Having the photos taken at home allowed him to focus more on what we were asking him to do. I also think he felt more comfortable at home, and less shy with the photographer since we were at home.
2. Crop photos where your toddler isn’t smiling or is pitching a tantrum.
I’m pretty sure Graham was whining and complaining during the picture below. But because of how our photographer cropped the pic, you’d never know! Expect that your kiddo won’t be smiling and sweet in 100% of the pictures.
3. Pick a photographer that’s great with kids.
Our photographer is awesome with kids! She was constantly asking Graham questions and interacting with him. He loved the attention! She was great at including him, acting silly with him, and making sure he was having fun.
4. Keep your expectations low.
I had really low expectations for these pictures. Normally, I would have spent hours on Pinterest, pinning different poses for us to try. But I didn’t even bother with this photo shoot. I knew there would be a small window of time where Graham would actually listen and cooperate. We stuck with basic poses and tried to keep things moving forward so he wouldn’t get bored and distracted.
5. Bribe your kid.
When all else fails, break out the candy! Nothing like some good old fashion bribery to get your kids to do what you need them to do!
Photography by Ciji Ann.
Check out my maternity pictures when I was pregnant with Graham by clicking here!
