As general guidance, book your pregnancy portrait session for somewhere between 28 and 34 weeks. Your bump is well defined by then, you can usually still move and stand without discomfort, and there's enough runway before your due date to hold the consultation, the session and the viewing appointment without a newborn arriving mid-process. It's a guide rather than a rule, and the right week for you depends on how you're feeling and what your due date allows.
Why 28 to 34 weeks tends to work
Earlier than 28 weeks, the bump is often still changing shape week to week, and later than 34 weeks, standing and moving for a session can start to feel like hard work rather than something you enjoy. The window in between tends to give you a bump that reads clearly in the portraits, along with enough comfort to actually be present for the session instead of counting down the minutes.
That said, every pregnancy carries its own timeline. A second or third pregnancy often shows earlier than a first, energy levels vary enormously from person to person, and some women feel their best right up until the end while others are ready to slow down by week 30. When we book your consultation, we'll talk through your due date, how you're feeling, and what timing gives you the best chance of a relaxed session, rather than fitting you into a fixed formula.
Book the consultation itself as early as you'd like, even before you've settled on an exact week for the session. That first meeting at the Belgrave gallery is where we plan the actual timing together, alongside seeing the artwork and prices, so there's no need to wait until you're sure of the date before getting in touch.
Comfort comes first, always
A pregnancy session isn't built around holding a pose. I direct rather than pose every session, and for a pregnant woman that matters more than usual: standing for long stretches, arching your back, or being asked to hold a particular angle isn't what makes a good portrait, and it isn't something I'll ask of you. Sessions are timed around sunrise or sunset, both gentler light and a gentler pace, with plenty of room to sit, rest, or simply move at whatever speed feels right on the day.
If you're further along and standing for any length of time is uncomfortable, we build the session around seated and supported moments rather than working against that. If you're feeling brighter and want to move more, we do that instead. There's no script to follow, only your comfort and what feels natural for you.
Bringing your partner and other children into it
Plenty of pregnancy sessions are just you, and plenty aren't. A partner's hands resting on the bump, a sibling meeting the pregnancy for the first time, or the whole family together before it becomes one more, all of these are common reasons families choose a pregnancy session over waiting until after the birth. If you're bringing a toddler along, our guide on preparing a toddler for a portrait session has practical detail on timing it around naps and keeping things unhurried, since the same principles that make a toddler comfortable apply just as much when their sibling is on the way.
There's no need to decide in advance exactly who's in every portrait. We plan for a mix, some of just you, some with your partner, some with the whole family, so the finished collection reflects the different relationships this pregnancy is changing, not just one version of the day.
Quiet, elegant styling
The strongest pregnancy portraits tend to come from simple choices rather than elaborate ones. Flowing fabric in a quiet, muted tone lets the shape of the bump and the light do the work, rather than competing with a busy print or a lot of jewellery. Solid colours across the family, if others are joining you, keep the portraits feeling calm and considered rather than mismatched. Our free family styling guide goes through colours, layers and fabric choices in more depth if you'd like a hand deciding what to wear.
How the experience comes together
Like every session, a pregnancy portrait experience runs across three meetings. First, a one hour consultation at the Belgrave gallery, where we see the artwork on the walls, talk through prices openly, and plan your session date around your due date and how you're feeling. Second, the session itself, timed around sunrise or sunset and around your comfort, at the studio or on location. Third, a viewing and design appointment within a week of the session, where you choose your favourites and design the finished pieces together.
Finished artwork is artisan printed and hand finished, ready for collection within three weeks of that design appointment.
Where these portraits find a home
Pregnancy portraits tend to sit somewhere quiet and personal rather than in a formal display space, often in a bedroom or a hallway where you'll pass them often rather than only see them on special occasions. If you're weighing up where a piece like this might go, our guide on displaying portraits in a bedroom has ideas on scale and placement that apply just as well to a pregnancy piece as to any other family portrait.
They also make a considered gift, particularly for grandparents meeting a new generation for the first time. If that's part of your thinking, our guide on portraits as gifts covers how that works in practice, from choosing the piece to timing the reveal.
Every portrait begins with a conversation at the Belgrave gallery.