My four year old son set me right.  He had recently learned about the 'bump' and precisely where its located.  Best I be informed that babies aren't immersed in acidic juices in my 'tummy', its "growing in your womb Mom, not your tummy"! Beyond the technical facts, pregnancy is such a personal and mostly hormonal experience, as every Mum will testify.  There are of course many war stories told over tea, but that is not my intention here - I'm merely sharing what is possibly one of the most beautiful things that ever happened to me. 

To be honest, I never really felt monstrously maternal. But when my boyfriend proposed to me with the words, "Will you be the mother of my children?" I gladly said what was expected of me ... and nearly three years later I inadvertantly did what was expected ... I fell pregnant with our first little man.  A little shocked and 32 years young at the time, we both embraced the romantic idea of having a limited brood of our own, oblivious of course to the extent of those changes.

Being pregnant for the first time is one of the most exciting experiences a woman will ever have.  That being said however, for some the excitement is incredibly short-lived in the early days with the onset of the more debilitating symptoms of pregnancy.  I was one of those who hardly moved from my bed for the first 3 or 4 months. And it wasn't the excessive tiredness that kept me there .. Drinking water, brushing my teeth, my mother-in-laws' perfume, even the smell of gruyere cheese being grated in the kitchen intitiated intensified nausea and relentless hurling.  Morning sickness is a misnomer - for many its morning, noon and night sickness, to the extent that you cannot even sleep properly. Once I reached  my fifth month, probably 5kg lighter, things were looking a tad brighter. I began to enjoy and nurture what was growing inside me.  It was hard to believe that another little person (that would prove to be a 95% Dad 5% Mom mix) was developing miraculously inside my womb, one who would make an indescribable impact on our lives. 

Of course we read all the birthing books and I listened to lots of Chopin while playing games with the 'goggo' in my belly.  I wondered how my mother had done this 10 times. Yes, I was number 5 of 10 kids.  There was hardly a gap between all but the last child.  Our teachers jokingly called our home "breeding kennels" as they received one sibling after another, year after year, without a gap.  Needless to say, Mom made pregnancy look easy.  She made everything look easy. Ten natural births, no complications, no nausea - she'd just pop them out year after year like there was nothing simpler to do.  (They don't make 'em like they used to - I think she must think quietly all her 7 daughters are Sissies!) And of course in those days Fathers' sole claim to fame was that he initiated the production line. He was the proud stud behind the breeding kennels.  That of course was as far as his work went with all the little picannins that arrived without ceremony year after year... You'll be horrified to hear he never attended one birth ... he did the 'drop and run' bit at the maternity home..

Yes, I vowed I would do that part differently.  Not only would I not be an incubator for 11 years of my life, but I would have the privilege of having a husband who would share every aspect of my pregnancy, from the buckets for the first 3 months to the pre-natal classes and shedding tears with me at the birth.  Not forgetting the changing of nappies & waking at night to help his jaded wife...  Both pregnancies were much the same, and I'm still so grateful for the loving support of a very special husband, and the partnership we have enjoyed as parents.

Admittedly, the only photographs I have to document my first pregnant tummy, were on holiday in Plett in a bikini, bobbing in the waves. In retrospect,  it wasn't a pretty sight at all even though it solicited many a smile.  Some just carry more beautifully than others .. Others like me, just carried - and we still felt radiant, just a little bulky.  One thing I will always remember is how friends & strangers alike felt the right and urge to touch this pregnant 'tummy'.  I still love seeing heavily pregnant Moms. Mark says he misses my pregnant tummy especially when he says radiant young pregnant mums.  Its an awe-inspiring thing, part of the circle of life, uniquely so to each pregnant Mom. 

I have not yet photographed two pregnant Moms the same - somehow their own experience has always set the tone for their shoot.  A pregnancy photo shoot is a very personal thing, and you need to feel 100% comfortable with your photographer.  You're sharing the secret, in a sense, of this new life.  Your images should be a sensitive reflection of one of the most beautiful things thats ever happened to you. There are no rules.  You can be photographed in natural light outdoors or indoors, semi naked or elegantly dressed. Choice is yours and you need to find a photographer who will respect your wishes, keeping things dignified, natural and even having a little fun with the bump ..