Raise your hand if you’re a new mom OR you know a new mom ✋🏻
I became a mom at 22 and then again at 33.
Both times it was HARD to adjust to the new life with a newborn AND accept that my body wasn’t the same as pre-baby, my hormones were all over the place, my time, attention and my body don’t belong to me anymore.
It was HARD to accept it and learn how to love my new version of me.
It was HARD to rediscover myself, reconnect with that woman inside of me, claim my time and my body and not feel guilty about it.
And it was NEEDED.
As much as I wanted to be a mom I needed to feel MORE THAN THAT, I wanted to feel like myself again, the new version, Irina 2.0 (and later 3.0)
And that’s where post-pregnancy boudoir sessions came in handy.
The first time around I was dealing with baby weight and not feeling sexy so I wanted to take beautiful photos to feel good about my new body. I bought a couple of cute pjs and baby dolls and while my husband was at work and my baby girl was napping I took my own photos in our bedroom with my first professional digital camera. I couldn’t get all the angles but I didn’t know any photographer who I would trust with such intimate photos. At that time I was about 40lb heavier than pre-pregnancy with deep red stretch marks decorating my thighs. I hated them and wanted to pretend they weren’t there so I posed myself in a way where the stretch marks and the love handles wouldn’t show. I took these photos for myself but eventually showed my husband and (to my surprise!) he loved them!
The second time I already expected the extra pounds and to be honest I enjoyed the bigger boobs 🤪 so I wanted to document my juicy curves (because I knew I was going to miss them once I got back to the gym) BUT the number one reason this time was my MENTAL HEALTH. I was NOT OK.
I needed to feel like I belonged to myself again, that I was more than a milk-pumping diaper-changing machine. So I had another post-pregnancy session, this time it was an outdoors session with a professional photographer. It was much needed and magical. I got to get up before the sunrise FOR MYSELF and not because I had to be on mommy duty. I got pampered and dressed up in pretty outfits. My skin wasn’t perfect (those stretchmarks never went away, only lightened) and I still had the extra pounds but I didn’t care. I trusted my photographer to do her magic with posing and editing and enjoyed a few hours to myself. I truly think this experience helped me get out of the woods and start feeling better. Still love those photos and the experience!
So, if you can relate, you’re a new mom or you know a new mom, Post-Pregnancy Boudoir Session could be just what you (or they) need ♥️
