Maternity Shoot – My Inspiration

So I’ve been paying attention to maternity photos since I first got pregnant, and collecting (ok I think it really qualifies as hoarding) those that inspire me most on my Pinterest.  For a long time, most of the shoots I was seeing on the blogs were pretty epic – set on the beach, in the ocean, or in a vast field – with really stylized outfits (perhaps a muslin cloth wrap for the ocean, or a really coordinated outfit with props for a field shot).

But more recently, I’ve been seeing a whole new genre of maternity photos crop up that just give me the warm fuzzies.  I think these relaxed, cozy, at home photos of mamas-to-be wearing simple, comfy clothes, bathed in natural light really capture something special about being pregnant – they kind of translate the nesting instinct to film!

So these are my current inspirations – I’m going to shoot photos with my talented photographer friend Lori of The Purple Tree Photography in 3 – 4 weeks, when I’ll be a full 8 months pregnant.  Here’s some of what I’m hoping to capture – I will share the finished photos down the line too for a little ‘inspiration to reality’!

I love this first set of images, all shot in bed.  Of course, to capture these in our house, I will have to hide my full body pillow, foam wedge, and ratty memory foam mini pillow that I use in a 10 step process to prop myself into the acceptable preggo sleeping configuration : ) LOVE that shot where the mom’s belly is on display and being grazed by that cool long necklace!

Credits / Sources: Top Left Page Reaux Photography, originally featured here.  Top right: Kelly Sauer Photography, originally featured here.  Bottom left: Kelly Hicks Photography, originally featured here.  Bottom right: Kristy Carlson Photography, originally featured here.

These are gorgeous too – sitting upright in a chair or on the couch.  I just love the simplicity- and I love the 2 piece PJ outfits on the top row!

Credits / Sources: Top Left Nat Windsor Photography, originally featured here.  Top right:Kelly Hicks Photography, originally featured here.  Bottom left: Kelly Sauer Photography, originally featured here.  Bottom right: Paige Smith Photography, originally featured here.

Hope to capture some cool backlit shots (I am a sucker for flare ; ) in front of a window, like these.  And how pretty is that white shirt / nightie?!

Credits / Sources: Top Left via Aura Joon.  Top right: Page Reaux Photography, originally featured here.  Bottom left: Charley Star Photography, originally featured here.  Bottom right: Paige Smith Photography, originally featured here.

And finally, of course want to get some with Mr. Floret Cadet! I love these poses:

Credits / Sources: Top Row: Alea Lovely Photography, originally featured here.  Bottom row: Page Reaux Photography, originally featured here.

Pregnancy Photo Journals

I’m a photo book enthusiast, so starting a fun pregnancy journal was high on my to do list when Mr. Floret Cadet and I first confirmed the news! If you follow any pregnancy or baby boards on Pinterest, you have likely seen some version of this awesome digital pregnancy photo journal, and I became obsessed with how I could make one like it without hiring a professional photographer / designer to create one.

It just so happens that the photographer who created these journals is Hanna Mac, and after being out on maternity leave herself, she is back and offering a template for purchase so you can have a DIY version of one of her gorgeous booksl! Even cooler, you can buy cute individual images to accompany some of the pages and mix it up if you don’t want to include a bump photo each and every week. You purchase the template for $50 in either PSD or JPG format, and then print your finished book through a service like Shutterfly, or Hanna also has a special recommended printer who she introduces you to upon purchase.

I missed the boat on this template (I think it was made available just days after I looked and then moved on), but luckily for me, she also has three gorgeous baby book templates available – in chalkboard, pennant and chevron styles.  I will definitely be using one of these to document our baby’s first year! Here are some of those designs- what’s your favorite? I think I’m leaning towards the chalkboard for now.

(more…)

friday weight loss check in

i lost no weight this week. (maybe because i ate about 6 cupcakes in the past 48 hours!!) oh well, at least i did not gain. still 14.5 to go.

does anyone else weigh in only once a week? i only weigh myself on fridays because i like to have lots of yummy treats on the weekend. then Monday i get more serious and i have until fri. to work on my diet.

friday weight loss check in

woohoo! i lost an entire lb this week. i am now 10 wks postpartum with 16.2 lbs to go. i have no idea why they say breastfeeding “melts away the pounds!” i am EBF and really watching what i eat and my weight loss is very slow. how are you doing?

friday weight loss check in

i was in NY all week so am a day late checking in…but the good news is this morning when i stepped on the scale i was down .8 lbs! so 17.2 lbs to go! how did you do?

friday weight loss check in

i had no weight loss when i stepped on the scale this morning still 18 lbs left to lose! how did you do??
happy 4th of july!! enjoy your holiday weekends. we have some fun things planned at the shore with the kids. see you all on tuesday.

a few belly pics this morning:

friday weight loss check in

i lost 1 lb this week. that is major progress for me and i am so excited! now just 18 more to go how did you do?

friday weight loss check in

i just jumped on the scale and am down .1 lbs from last week..funny! i have a feeling these last 19 lbs are going to take awhile.

i am trying to get to the gym on sunday mornings for 45 min of cardio. unfortunately i cannot use the gym’s babysitting until rex is 6 months so my workout routine is stalled until november.

other then that i am doing about 4 outdoor stroller walks/week. (30 min each)

friday weight loss check in

i conveniently forgot to write a weight post last friday…
but i am happy to report that i am back in the 130s as of today! in the past 2 weeks i have lost 1.4 lbs. my weight is coming off slow but going in the right direction!
i still have 19 left to lose of the 37.1 i gained.
here are my belly pics for today:

Friday Weight Loss Check In

no major weight loss this week… the scale says i am down .2 more lbs. (i guess that is better then gaining!) i did not do much exercise this week…only got 2 40 min walks in. i am going to try and get on my treadmill if it rains this week. i am so tired and have been making excuses.
my stomach looks about the same as last week. here are pics i took this morning:

Friday Weight Loss Check In

today is day 16 and not much has changed with my belly. i did lose 2.5 lbs in the past week (for a total of 16.5 lbs)! i now have 20.6 lbs left to lose. (i am eating between 1800-2200 calories/day plus a cheat day once in awhile!)

Six guidelines for safe dieting during lactation (from kellymom.com):

Wait until your baby is two months old before dieting
It’s best not to do anything consciously to lose weight until after the second month. This gives your body enough time to successfully establish a healthy milk supply that is less likely to be adversely affected if your caloric intake is restricted. Breastfeeding your baby, on average, burns 200-500 calories per day (above what you needed to maintain your pre-pregnancy weight) — so keep in mind that even without a weight loss program you are burning extra calories.

Breastfeed without restriction
Research tells us that both more frequent breastfeeding and breastfeeding longer than six months increases maternal weight loss.

Eat at least 1500-1800 calories per day
While nursing, you should not consume less than 1500-1800 calories per day, and most women should stay at the high end of this range. Some mothers will require much more than this, but studies show that going below this number may put supply at risk.

Keep weight loss at less than 1.5 pounds per week
Most moms can safely lose up to 1.5 pounds per week or 6 pounds per month after the second month and not affect milk supply or baby’s well being. One study has suggested that short-term weight loss of 2.2 pounds (1 kg) per week is not a problem (in this study, moms dieted for 11 days).

Decrease the calories gradually
A sudden drop in calories can reduce milk supply. Some moms notice this during an illness, although dehydration and/or medication use could also be a factor in reduced milk supply when mom is sick. It has been hypothesized that a sudden calorie decrease can cause mom’s body to go into “starvation mode” and cut nonessential resources such as milk production.

weight loss goal & postpartum belly pictures

since giving birth on May 6th my weight is down about 14 lbs. i have 23.1 lbs to lose!
here are some photos taken this morning of my 8 days postpartum belly:

it took me about 6 months to lose the 35 lbs i gained during my first pregnancy. (although i still had trouble buttoning my jeans because my stomach was not yet toned)

i am hoping to get a lot of my weight off by the end of the summer. my goal is to do a weekly update on my blog to hold myself accountable for what i decide to eat! anyone want to join me?

yesterday i ordered a new scale…the Weight Watchers Glass Memory Precision Scale WW43D: ($49.99 on amazon.com) it got great reviews and i hope it will help me stay on track with my weight loss.

39 Week Belly Photo

my belly this morning (@ 39 weeks 1 day):

38 wk belly pics

2nd pg = pink and blue pants
1st pg = blue pants

i had a drs. appt on tues. and am still measuring about 3 wks small. but dr. felt better after seeing the 36 week u/s measurements (baby was in the 36th %). he mentioned that this baby may just lay differently in my belly. i have also heard that many women carry their 2nd/3rd baby much lower since abdominal muscles are so stretched from previous pregnancies. the baby continues to be active. next week we are starting NST tests.
(i am still at 34 lb weight gain…the exact total of my 1st pg.)

36 wk belly pic

here i am today at 36 wks 1 day. unfortunately i have no comparison pic at 36 weeks of my first pregnancy.

35 week belly picture

yellow sweatpants= 2nd pg
greenish pants = 1st pg
i continue to measure smaller this pregnancy. maybe this baby is curled up more compact in my belly? he sure is active in there!

34 week belly picture

here i am at 34 weeks 1 day pregnant = black sweat pants taken this morning. i have not been able to eat much for the past 3 days because of my food poisoning. i am just starting to get my appetite back!

the photo in the blue sweatpants is at 33 weeks of my first pregnancy. my belly is noticeably larger!

32 week belly pics

black pants=1st pregnancy
yellow pants=2nd pregnancy

more belly pics

29 week belly pic comparison…

the photo in the orange sweatpants is my first pregnancy, the photo in the yellow sweatpants (taken yesterday) is my current belly. i feel much larger this time around, and am surprised that my belly actually looks a tad smaller! i guess my belly bloat has gone away.

18 week belly pic comparison!

a big difference in my belly at 18 weeks in my 2nd pregnancy. (i was about 4 lbs thinner at this point in my first pregnancy.)

1st pregnancy &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp &nbsp&nbsp 2nd pregnancy