Why we embraced the baby bump shoot trend - & you should too!

 'A BUMP SHOOT ALLOWS YOU TO SEE YOURSELF IN A DIFFERENT LIGHT'

Nicolette Fourie, 36, from Fish Hoek, Cape Town, has two girls aged eight and three. She runs her own furniture business.

I decided to have a bump shoot because I wanted to capture the special moment of how I looked and felt before baba arrived. She was a couple of weeks away at the time of the shoot.

A bump shoot is empowering. You get to see yourself in a different light. Often pregnant women feel overweight and unattractive, but we forget how beautiful pregnancy can look from the outside.

Being in my last trimester was the best time to have the shoot because my bump was in full show. It also cemented the fact that our baby girl was not far from being born.  

My top tip for having a bump shoot is to find a photographer you feel comfortable with.

I would do it again. It was perfect and the photographer truly made it an enjoyable session.

'IT WAS A BONDING EXPERIENCE FOR MY HUSBAND AND I AS A COUPLE'

Leigh-Anne Hunter, 35, is a journalist and lives in Joburg. She has one daughter.

My top tip for having a bump shoot is to choose a venue that has meaning for you, so you have a story to tell your child one day. My husband and I chose the Johannesburg Botanical Gardens — a special place for us as we often walked there during my pregnancy. Another tip: if you’re posing nude at home, close the curtains.

The shoot wasn’t just about getting photos, it was also a bonding experience for us as a couple, where we could take time out and appreciate this moment in our lives.

Aim for variety. It was great that our photographer was open to including two venues in one afternoon shoot, with different outfits, which gave us a variety of photos.

Bearing flesh for the camera was a bit daunting at first. It helped that our photographer made me feel at ease and had a warm manner.  Also, she helped me choose the right pair of knickers.

The one thing I’d do differently is I may have had the shoot earlier in my pregnancy. While it was great that there was lots to show (I was a few weeks into my third trimester), I was carrying so much weight that being on top form for a shoot was tough. And my husband said outright that I was too heavy to carry. To makes things even more fun, it was also the hottest month of the year. 

'IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT PRETTY PHOTOS, IT’S ABOUT CAPTURING A MAJOR LIFE STAGE'

Kirsten Ramsay, 31, has a two-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Charlotte, and a son, Bryce, two months. She lives in Bothasig, Cape Town, and is in publishing.

I would recommend having a bump shoot because you forget about certain stages of your life so quickly. I didn’t feel particularly fantastic pregnant, but I knew that if I didn’t have the pictures I’d regret it. It’s not about looking pretty in the photos — it’s more about capturing a major life stage.

If you have other children who you want in the shoot, find a photographer who’s good with kids. Mine helped my little girl to have fun, which made for better pictures. 

I liked that I could add a personal touch. With the studio shoot we had in my first pregnancy, I took some of my own props, including the carpet I was going to use in the nursery and a teddy bear.

My top tip for having a bump shoot is to do and wear whatever makes you feel comfortable – if you’re not it will show in the photos. Be yourself as much as possible; you want a picture of you, not someone you saw in a magazine.

'IT CAN MAKE YOUR OTHER CHILDREN FEEL MORE INCLUDED IN YOUR PREGNANCY'

Cezanne Joynt, 36, lives in Plumstead, Cape Town. She has a daughter, Cara-Claire, 9, and a son, Conor, 5, and is in marketing.

I think women should have a bump shoot because pregnancy is a beautiful experience that brings out the best in you physically. It’s also a great way to show your children when they’re older how mommy looked when they were in her tummy.

I regret not having a bump shoot with my first child. I only had it done with my second child, Conor.

If you already have kids, a bump shoot can help to make them feel special. Having my daughter in the shoot made her feel more included in the pregnancy, having been the only child for four years.

I’m happy we chose to have the shoot at home. We felt comfortable in our own environment and it didn’t feel too staged.

Being in my last trimester was the best time to have the shoot because I wasn’t too uncomfortable and still had that beautiful pregnancy glow. 

I’m glad I decided to go nude because this captures the true beauty of the bump and your body.

My top tip for having a bump shoot is to have your hair and makeup done professionally. These are photos you will have forever. It’s also your one opportunity to doll yourself up before baby comes and it will make you feel like a million bucks.

'IT CAN BE MORE EXCITING THAN AN ULTRASOUND'

Emma Dabrowska, 36, has two kids, Leah, 2, and Anna, three months. She lives in Blouberg, Cape Town, and works in IT.

I decided to do something different for my bump shoot: a pregnancy timeline series. This is such a beautiful visual documentation of a woman’s journey while pregnant. I looked forward to each 15-minute session because the photographer would show me how much I’d progressed. It was even more exciting than going for an ultrasound.

If you’re doing a pregnancy timeline series, keep in mind that different women grow differently in pregnancy. Bottom line? It’s good to have a photographer who’s innovative – and flexible. We didn’t get to do the last few photos of the timeline because my baby was premature, but when I phoned my photographer from the hospital she shot over to do my last photo there.

My top tip if you want to do a pregnancy timeline series is to keep things consistent.  It’s easy to be forgetful when you’re pregnant. 

For my next bump shoot I would like to do an “announcement shoot” where you have a cryptic message, like “I’m going to be a big sister” or “Two is going to become three...”