The best time for maternity photos is usually between 30 and 34 weeks. At that stage your bump is nice and round and properly visible, but you are hopefully still comfortable enough to move, stand, sit, and enjoy the shoot without feeling like you have just completed an extreme sport. Leave it too late and things can start feeling a lot less glamorous very quickly, especially if baby is sitting high, your feet are swollen, and getting dressed already feels like a group project.
That said, every pregnancy is different. Some moms carry small, some pop early, some are having twins, and some are already very over it by 28 weeks. So this is not a hard rule carved in stone. It is more of a sweet spot. If you are unsure, rather book earlier than later. It is much easier to photograph a happy, comfortable pregnant woman at 31 weeks than a very determined but deeply fed-up one at 37.
And if you are reading this while already further along, do not panic and write yourself off. Beautiful maternity photos can absolutely still happen later in pregnancy too. The main thing is not hitting some perfect number on the calendar. It is doing the shoot while you still feel up to it, while your bump looks amazing, and before baby decides to move the deadline up for everyone.
