Six Things I Recommend For Pregnant Moms

Pregnancy can be such a fun, exciting time for expecting mommas, but it can also have its hurdles! Though I was fortunate enough to have a mostly “normal”, easy pregnancy, it wasn’t without a few physical discomforts and emotions that never quit. ;) So I have put together a little list of things that helped me with my pregnancy, in hopes that it may help any ladies out there who are navigating their own pregnancy now, or who may in the future. (Of course, consult your doctor as needed! Try these things at your own risk! 😉)

1. Tea!

I am a huge coffee lover, and though I try to only have one, maybe two cups on a normal day, during my first trimester of pregnancy I had a strange aversion to coffee. I wanted to want my daily cup of joe, and would even fix a cup, only to take a sip and not be able to drink any more of it. I stopped trying to drink it, but missed that cozy warm treat in the mornings, so I switched to a cup of homemade chai tea instead. It wasn’t quite the same, but it did help me get through until my second trimester, when I started being able to drink coffee again (though I couldn’t drink it without sugar until my 3rd trimester! Baby James had a sweet tooth, that’s for sure!) **On a side note, I have talked with a few other moms of boys, and they had a weird coffee aversion during pregnancy too! Any other mommas have this experience? If so, did you give birth to a boy or a girl? :)

Another fun little pregnancy symptom I experienced was some insomnia, especially in my early 3rd trimester. I found that if I drank some chamomile tea before bed I would sleep MUCH better! It knocked me out!!

2. Yoga

I had a mostly good pregnancy, but that first trimester nausea and morning sickness was no joke. I never realized how mentally exhausting it would be to battle nausea all day until I was in that season, and it will wear a girl out! Thankfully, it eased up a ton at the beginning of my second trimester, and was pretty much gone for good after about week 20. However, I found that if I did at least Episode 1 of Katy Appleton’s pregnancy yoga series on YouTube, it would help a lot with my energy and, surprisingly, my nausea.

This episode focuses mostly on breathing and very simple stretching, but I could tell a big difference in the days I did it and the days I skipped. It’s just 10 minutes long, so if you are up for trying it (after making sure it’s okay with your doctor!) you can check it out at the link above! (I recommend the other yoga videos in that series, too, if you are looking for a simple yoga practice to try during your pregnancy. Again, consult your doctor first. 🙃)

3. These Books

Though I never actually read “What to Expect While You’re Expecting”, I did read these two books (and a few others) during pregnancy, and I recommend them both!
The First Forty Days focuses a lot on your recovery period, mentally and physically, after you give birth, and talks about being graceful with yourself, accepting help from those who want to help, and has recipes and tips for foods to incorporate into your postpartum diet to help with healing. (Jimmy actually got this one for me, it was so thoughtful of him!)
Hypnobirthing: Practical Ways To Make Your Birth Better is one that I highly recommend for first time moms especially, who may be a bit nervous about giving birth. This book may sound a little “woo-woo” (the word “Hypnobirthing” in the title is a little misleading— it doesn’t have anything to do with hypnosis!) and some parts of it include exercises for visualizations and such for during labor, but I found a lot of the advice in the book helpful, and even things I didn't know I’d use ended up coming in handy later! It also has a whole chapter on the actual birthing process, which helped me understand what the different stages of labor were and explained some medical terms I didn’t know before then. Though the midwife at the hospital directed me through different breathing exercises during labor than what is illustrated in the book, I still find myself using the calming ones at times when I am feeling anxious.

(I found there’s no way to make a pregnancy pillow look glamorous in a photo, haha!)

4. Pregnancy Pillow

My sister gave me a pregnancy pillow to use at the beginning of my pregnancy, and though I didn’t use it at first, around Thanksgiving I all of a sudden had back pain and could not get comfortable in bed. This pillow solved both of those issues, and I was forever grateful to have that on hand when I needed it! Though I think Jimmy is a bit happy to have this out of our lives now, it does take up a bit of room. 😄

5. The Pregnancy Podcast

Maybe a lot of moms go into pregnancy knowing all there is to know about everything, but I felt a little lost, especially at the beginning. The Pregnancy Podcast was such a great resource! I found a lot of answers to questions I had, from the simple ones to the more embarrassing ones. 😬 She didn’t seem to push any certain kind of agenda, but presented a lot of her own research on topics without coming across judgmental if you chose a different kind of birth plan than she did. She isn’t a doctor, but I found her podcast to be super helpful and clarifying.

6. These Prenatal Vitamins

I did so. much. research. about so. many. things. and maybe not surprisingly, prenatal vitamins turned out to be a bit intimidating to read about. There were a ton of vitamins and supplements that every company told you you needed, and it different amounts, in different forms, and it was stressing me. 😂 So, after listening to the Pregnancy Podcast I mentioned above and hearing her talk about these prenatal vitamins from Zahler, I decided to look those up and found a lot of great things to be said about them. I tried them and they worked great for me, though they do have a strong-ish smell so (speaking from experience) you may not want to keep them in a small cabinet and inhale when you open it, especially if you have any kind of nausea to contend with! 🥴 I still take them while I am breastfeeding. I haven’t had any reflux from them, but I do recommend taking them with food as it says on the packaging.
You can find them on Amazon here, but if you go to www.pregnancypodcast.com and scroll down, you’ll find a 20% off coupon code for them (at least at the time of this blog!) Of course, ask your doctor before taking them and all that. :) I don’t get anything out of saying this, I just had a good experience with these!

Congratulations to any expecting mommas who may be reading this! I hope you have a wonderful pregnancy and a positive birthing experience. I know right now is a weird time in the world, but you’ve got this and you will be a great mom to your little one! And remember on the hard days to tell yourself, as Practical Ways to Make Your Birth Better says, “My body was made to birth (and I would add, to carry!) this baby”. I believe in you. :)

Tips for Taking Pictures of Your Kids at Home

When we first found out I was pregnant, I took to Pinterest for lots of baby-related searches, such as nursery inspiration and registry check lists, and even quotes on motherhood if I was feeling extra sentimental. In between all the advice and how to’s and sweet sayings, I found and pinned some precious pictures that I loved and wanted to remember for when our little one arrives. From simple photos to show off those tiny baby details, to milestone pictures that document how much they change from month-to-month, I happily went down that adorable rabbit hole of baby photos and hugged my little baby bump in a tad closer.

While I was looking through hundreds of photos and saving the ones I loved most, I started thinking of all the moms who have probably done the same thing I was doing, though without knowing exactly how to achieve the look of these inspiration photos on their own. Most of the photos were simple and just captured everyday life, not something that required a professional photo shoot and expensive gear (though of course I believe there is definitely a time and place for those things! 😉) So I thought I would share a few tips for moms and dads who wanted to capture those sweet memories of everyday life, keeping in mind that most of these parents will be using just a smartphone and have no photography education, or at least very little. If that’s you, I hope you’ll read on and find some helpful tips here!

*A quick note— these photos (besides the screenshot of my phone) were all shot with my DSLR for my clients, so they did involve a professional camera and retouching. Since our baby boy isn’t here yet, I haven’t taken many indoor photos of little ones on my phone, so I couldn’t use non-professional photos as examples. :) The tips I’ve shared here, though, can be applied whether you are using a real camera or a smartphone!

1. Safety Safety Safety

   I’m starting with safety first because obviously it is the most important thing to keep in mind as you photograph your sweet kiddos. I’ve unfortunately seen a few photos on social media of babies who are put in questionable positions or with unsafe props, without the picture-taker knowing the risks involved. (A lot of the professional photos you see of babies in props are either cropping out an assistant who is inches away, or baby actually did have a spotter’s hand on them at all times and it was photoshopped out.) Here are a few things to look out for—

   First, if baby is put inside anything such as a basket, make sure their head is supported well, especially if they are very new to the world. Have someone else sit close enough to baby that if your little one were to startle or push with their legs, they won’t be going anywhere. (Yes, even for babies who are days old! They are stronger than you think!) Same goes for pictures of babies on changing tables, on beds, etc. It’s easy to assume that because they haven’t rolled over yet they’re fine, but trust me, it is much better to be safe than sorry!
   Second, please do not give little ones things like glowing Christmas lights that they can grab and chew on, etc. I know the photos can be sweet, but goodness, this makes me so nervous around the holidays when I see those pictures! Maybe just include some lights just out of their reach or a few feet away in the background, where you’ll get more of that bokeh we all know and love. :)

   Finally, as much as I am a dog person, always use a helper if you are taking photos of your baby snuggled in with the family pet. I’m sure we’ll be taking lots of photos of our baby boy with our fur babies, so I’m definitely not saying don’t include them in photos together, but just keep in mind that animals are unpredictable even if they are super lovable. Having a helper close by to keep an eye or even a hand on baby when they are next to your pet will be much safer if the pet happens to get up suddenly and doesn’t watch where they step, etc.

An example of a before-and-after edit, where I removed the dad’s hand from the picture. It was offering support for baby’s head, while also staying close enough to keep baby protected in case he flinched out of that pose.

2. Lighting

My biggest tip for simple lighting is to use natural sunlight whenever possible. In my house we are blessed with many windows, which is one of my favorite things about it! When using natural light from outside, try to turn off any other lights in the room, because if they are a typical light bulb, they’ll cast a yellowish glow onto the face(s) in the picture. You can use sheer white curtains to shield some of the sunlight if it is a bit too harsh, or just close the blinds a bit if needed.

In our apartment we had when we were first married, we had a total of four windows in the whole space, so I understand not having the luxury of a naturally bright home. For those of you who have darker homes or rooms, if possible, for any pictures you can plan to take, try to take them on sunny days and at the time of day the light is coming into your home or into the specific room you’d like to use. And just know that you probably need less light to take the photos than you think. Maybe play with moving your little ones closer to the windows if possible, and just turning their faces more towards the light rather than away from it. These small tweaks can make a big difference!

If you need to use light from a lamp or ceiling pendant though, it’s definitely not the end of the world! :) You’ll probably just find that those pictures are a going to be a bit more orange, so if you use any apps for editing (Afterlight is my favorite!) just take the temperature slider a bit more towards the cool side if needed.

Little Merritt was lit by just the Christmas tree lights in this photo! Sometimes the orange glow from artificial lighting actually makes the picture better. :) (I did block the window light from shining on him in this picture, I didn’t want that cool light from outside to mix with the warm light by the tree and give me funky colors and shadows!)

*One thing to avoid with lighting is not to have the light coming from your little one’s chin and shining up. This is sometimes called campfire lighting or ghoul lighting— think of telling ghost stories and shining a flashlight up at your face from below. Not exactly flattering, right? :) Instead, try having the light mostly come from the side or from the top of their head.

See how the lighting looks better in the photo on the left? I had forgotten about this rule at first and set up the shot on the right, which is still sweet, but by simply flipping baby Sarah around so her head was closer to the window instead of her feet, it gave us much more even lighting on her face.

3. Adjusting Exposure

(I’m going to use the iPhone as the example on this one, because it is what I have used, but I’m sure other smartphones have a similar concept/feature!)
If you have ever tried taking a picture of your child sitting in front of a bright window and all you can get is a shadowy silhouette of them, this is a handy trick for you to know! If you are on an iPhone in the camera mode, try tapping your screen where your child’s face is, and it should brighten them up a bit. From there, if you need them to be a bit brighter or darker, when you tap your screen you should see a little yellow square with a sunshine next to it. If you drag the sunshine up or down, you’ll notice the image getting brighter or darker accordingly. Once it is just right, you can take the picture!

I used my dog Annie as my model in this one! Don’t judge her scruffiness— bath day is Saturday! haha

4. Angles

Something I have learned since I started taking pictures of newborns is not to shoot up their noses. :) If they are lying in their crib all sound asleep and cuddly, try taking pictures from their side, or a bit from the top to where their forehead is a little closer to you than their feet. Think of it almost like you would a selfie— you probably don’t take pictures of yourself from below your chin. Instead, you probably lift your camera/phone above your eyeline a bit. Not only will you not be seeing up their nose, you’ll get better pictures of their sweet tiny eyelashes, too!
For older kids, remember not to always shoot down on them. Try squatting or sitting to get right at their eyeline, too!

5. Newborn Smiles

A quick tip for capturing newborn smiles— if they are sound asleep and you start seeing them breathe a bit heavier or more rapidly, it may be a good time to get your camera ready! This is usually when they are dreaming, and they’ll start making a lot of different facial expressions, including smiling. I find this typically happens right after they fall asleep. (Sometimes this heavy breathing is also a good indication they are about to flinch due to their startle reflex, so they may fling out their arms and legs if they aren’t swaddled up. It’s perfectly normal for them to do this, just make sure they are safe and supported!)

I hope these tips were helpful for you! If you have any questions about taking pictures inside your home that I haven’t answered here, please let me know and I’ll do my best to help you out! :)

Putting Together a Wall Display For Your Home

Back in the Spring of this year I, along with a few other talented photographers in our area, was asked by the Martin Hospital if I would like to hang some of my newborn work in one of their hallways. I was so honored to be asked, and of course, said I would love to. While I was deciding on sizes for the display, the pictures, the color scheme, and finish, I thought this would be a great way to illustrate how to put together a display for your home! So below I’ve got a few steps you can take when making these decisions for your own walls. 

1. Size it up 

The first step is deciding how big your whole display needs to be. For the hospital project, I actually sent over a few sketches to them ahead of time to see how much space they’d like my images to fill. That gave me the information I needed to know how big the actual prints needed to be. This is a technical step, but important! :) Get out a tape measure and even mark the measurements with some painters tape if you’d like to visualize what you need on your wall.
*Chances are, you’re going to need a bigger display than what you think. Most people guess their space is smaller than it actually is!

2. Decide Your Wall Hanging Style 

The next thing to consider when putting together a wall display is your wall display style. Didn’t know you had one? :) Here’s what I mean— Do you prefer many, smaller pictures, or fewer, larger pictures?
Typically, if you are one to like a more structured look, clean lines, and simple finishes, you’ll choose say, four large prints, rather than nine smaller prints. If you have more of an eclectic style and like mixing and matching finishes, sizes, and gravitate towards circles rather than squares, I’d say you’ll be happier with many, smaller pictures. (I’m totally a larger+fewer picture girl!)

3. Map it out

Once you have the size of the display in mind and how many images you’d like to incorporate, start mapping out the pictures on a piece of graph paper, keeping everything to scale as much as possible. Don’t be afraid to think outside of a box shape— some spaces look great with a more diamond layout, or even a circle. This will also give you a better visual for how big to print each image.
*If you plan to frame any or all the pieces, make sure you take the frame size into account, and not just the prints themselves! Also, be sure to leave room for space between each picture. An inch or two in between is a good start.

(Here’s my original sketch of the wall display I created for the hospital— my digital version of graph paper ha!)

4. Choose your color scheme

For the hospital display, I wanted the images to be as timeless as possible and go with a variety of decor, so I chose to keep all the colors very neutral. Though they came from several different sessions, the display looks cohesive because the tones match from one image to another. 

For your home, take into consideration the colors in the walls and decorations around the display. Also, if you would like to add on to the display later, or if the pictures you’re choosing from are from different sessions and stages, think about limiting it to a similar color scheme across the display. If the colors are a bit busy or seem to clash, another great option is to turn all the images black and white! That will make the display even more timeless. 

5. Choose your finish

If you want a finish you don’t have to frame, there are so many options— from wooden prints, to canvases, to thin wraps and metal. Even if you do want to frame them, choosing the finish for the frame can be tough! Here, I would choose between rustic and clean, between texture or smooth. If you like something clean but with a little texture, a canvas would be a great option! If you like a more rustic look, wooden prints are beautiful and add a bit of rustic warmth to a space. See what other finishes you have around that space and gain inspiration from those. Don’t be afraid to mix and match finishes, if you tend to be drawn to a more eclectic look! 

Now that you’ve made all these little decisions, the last thing to do is pick out the pictures, print them, and hang them! I know it seems like such a big task, but I promise it is so rewarding to see your family’s sweet faces on your wall every day. Pour a cup of coffee, grab a notebook, and just start putting some shapes down on paper. Have fun with it! You can always switch things up later if needed! 

If this post was helpful to you, I’d love to see what you create from it! Once your display is up, take a picture and feel free to tag me on Instagram @AbreaCrackelPhoto. :)