I get this message more than you might expect.
“I’m 34 weeks. Is it too late?”
“I kept putting it off and now I’m 36 weeks and panicking a little.”
“I know I should have booked this earlier. Do you have anything in the next two weeks?”
I want to answer this question honestly, because I think a lot of expecting mothers are making decisions based on incorrect assumptions about timing — and those incorrect assumptions are costing them photos they’ll spend years wishing they had.
So let me lay it out clearly. Is it too late to book maternity photos? Here’s what I actually tell expecting moms who reach out at every stage of pregnancy.
The Ideal Window — And Why It’s Earlier Than You Think
The textbook answer is 28 to 36 weeks — with the sweet spot being around 30 to 34 weeks for most people.
At this stage, the bump is full and beautifully defined. You’re still mobile and comfortable enough to move, pose, and engage in a session without the physical difficulty that comes in the final weeks. The baby hasn’t dropped yet, which means the bump sits high and round rather than low and wide.
You also have enough runway before your due date that if we need to reschedule for any reason — illness, a bad day, a scheduling conflict — we have options.
If you’re currently between 28 and 34 weeks and you haven’t booked yet, this is your moment. Reach out this week. You’re in the ideal window and you still have excellent flexibility.
What’s Still Possible at 35 to 38 Weeks
Here’s where the panic often sets in — and where I want to offer some reassurance.
If you’re between 35 and 38 weeks, you have not missed your chance. Sessions at this stage are entirely possible and can be genuinely beautiful.
What changes at this point is the approach.
Later pregnancy sessions tend to favor poses and positions that work with where your body is rather than against it. We lean into the fullness, the weight of it, the particular gravitas that comes with being close to the end of pregnancy. Some of the most striking maternity images I’ve ever made have been from sessions at 36 or 37 weeks — there’s an immediacy to the images that earlier sessions sometimes don’t have.
The practical considerations at this stage: we need to move a bit more carefully, build in more rest, and ensure that the session environment is comfortable for you. I always account for this in late-pregnancy sessions.
What I need from you: honesty about how you’re feeling physically. If you’re experiencing significant discomfort, swelling, or have been advised by your provider to limit activity, tell me. We’ll adjust accordingly or talk about whether the timing makes sense.
What About 38 Weeks and Beyond?
At 38 weeks and beyond, I’ll be honest with you: we’re working with a narrow window and limited flexibility.
That doesn’t mean it’s impossible. I’ve photographed sessions at 39 weeks that were stunning. But at this stage, I need to be upfront about a few things.
First: availability. If I don’t have an opening in the next few days, we may not be able to make it happen before your baby arrives. I work with a limited number of families each month and I can’t always create last-minute openings.
Second: your comfort. Late pregnancy is physically demanding and not every person feels up to a session at this stage. Your health and your baby’s health come first, always.
Third: the style of images. At 39 weeks, we’re focused on simple, beautiful, comfortable. This is not the moment for elaborate setups or extended outdoor sessions. It’s intimate, close, real.
If you’re at 38 or 39 weeks and you reach out, I will always try to find a way to make something happen. But I’d encourage you to reach out today rather than tomorrow.
The Hardest Message to Receive
Every so often I get a message that comes too late.
“My baby was born last week. I never got to do maternity photos. I’m devastated.”
I feel that message every time. Because I know that the maternity window — the specific, unrepeatable time when that pregnancy existed in that body — is now closed.
I can’t go back and make those photos exist. Nobody can.
And the reason it happens is almost never that the person didn’t care. It’s that they kept meaning to book, kept assuming there was more time, kept waiting for the right moment that never quite arrived.
If you’re reading this and you’re still pregnant — even if you’re 37 weeks and feeling like it’s probably too late — it is almost certainly not too late. Reach out today. Give me the chance to tell you what’s possible.
The message I never want to receive is the one that comes after.
Why People Wait (And Why Those Reasons Don’t Hold Up)
“I Don’t Feel Ready”
Ready is a feeling that almost never arrives on its own schedule during pregnancy. You can wait for it indefinitely.
What I’ve found is that readiness tends to show up during the session itself — not before it. Something happens when the lighting is right and the direction is clear and you see the first image on the back of the camera. The self-consciousness softens. The awareness of what’s actually being captured takes over.
You don’t need to feel ready in advance. You just need to show up.
“I Want to Lose a Little More Weight First”
I hear this one regularly and I want to address it with care.
Maternity photography is not about how thin you are. It never has been. The best maternity images celebrate what your body is actually doing — which is one of the most remarkable things a human body can do.
The bump, the fullness, the roundness — these are the subject matter. Not something to minimize or work around.
I’ve photographed bodies of every size and shape across 25 years. I’ve never had a client look at her finished maternity gallery and wish she’d waited until she was smaller. I have had clients wish they’d booked sooner rather than waiting for a version of themselves that felt more acceptable.
Book the session at the size you are right now. Those are the photos you’ll want.
“I’ll Get to It Next Week”
The most common reason for missing the window.
Next week becomes the week after, which becomes “I’m 37 weeks already,” which becomes a panicked message from someone who has run out of runway.
The antidote is simple: book now, even if the session isn’t for several weeks. Getting the date on the calendar is the decision. Everything else follows from that.
You can always reschedule if something comes up. What you can’t do is add time to a pregnancy that’s already in its final weeks.
How Quickly Can We Book?
If you’ve read this and you’re feeling the urgency — good. Use it.
For clients who need to book quickly, here’s how my process works:
Reach out through my contact form or email with your due date and your current week of pregnancy. I’ll check my calendar and get back to you within one business day with available dates.
For late-pregnancy clients (36 weeks and beyond), I prioritize response time because I understand the urgency. I won’t leave you waiting for days while the window closes.
Once we confirm a date, I’ll send you a brief prep guide so you arrive knowing exactly what to wear, what to bring, and what to expect. There’s no complicated prep required — just the practical basics that make a session go smoothly.
The whole process, from first contact to confirmed session, can happen within 24 to 48 hours when needed.
So if you’re sitting here right now at 35 weeks wondering if you’ve left it too late — you probably haven’t. But you need to reach out today, not next week.
One Last Thing
I want to say something directly to the person who has been putting this off for weeks because she doesn’t feel quite ready or quite deserving or quite sure it’s worth it.
You are in the middle of something remarkable right now. Your body is doing something that has never happened before and will never happen again in exactly this way. The specific pregnancy you are carrying, with this specific baby, in this specific season of your life — this is a once.
The photos exist or they don’t. There is no in-between.
Reach out today. I’ll tell you honestly what’s possible. And if we can make it work — which we almost certainly can — I’ll make sure the images are worth every moment of hesitation you spent before you sent that first message.
Whatever trimester you’re in right now — reach out today. I’ll be honest with you about what’s possible and help you figure out the best timing for your session. Don’t let another week pass wondering if it’s too late. It almost certainly isn’t.
