Gravida noun, plural
a woman's status regarding pregnancy
Gravid adjective
2. full of meaning or a specified quality.
from Latin gravidus, from gravis heavy
In the winter of 2021, after witnessing a dear friend’s harrowing battle with hyperemisis (severe nausea + vomiting from pregnancy) I started looking at the world of maternity portraits and wondering - Do pregnant people feel seen by these?
So I started asking them - For you, how does it feel to be pregnant?
And they answered. . .
“It feels simultaneously miraculous, and unremarkable.”
“Exhausted. Pure exhaustion.”
“A journey of complete and utter blind faith.” . . .
And then, with their answers in mind, I photographed them.
“I grew up with a big, supportive family and I never imagined going through a pregnancy (especially my first) without my family.”
~ Viridiana // 36 weeks
“Infertility had become such a large aspect of my life. I would catch myself feeling triggered by pregnancy posts, because for so long they caused so much jealousy and pain. . . once the nausea, fatigue and body changes started my mood took a deep dive. I started experiencing grief for my independence, and grief for my body, and lifestyle. I started questioning whether or not I was selfless enough for motherhood. It was a really dark time.”
~ Caroline // 37 weeks
“Sweet, surreal, vulnerable, exciting, empowering, sometimes terrifying, uncomfortable, and bittersweet (I lost my first child in the womb at 28 weeks last February).”
~ Lindsey // 36 weeks
“Pregnancy, for me, is being in a state of awe of what my body is capable of.”
~ Evelyn // 35 weeks
“Being pregnant feels like a constant lesson - in capacity, in slowing down, in being present.”
~ Lora // 38 weeks
“It’s survival mode. . either work, make food, entertain a 14 month old or sleep.”
~ Kari // 35 weeks
“It's been a complex and rich experience. . . we used Maggie's egg and created an embryo, which I am carrying, so there has been some processing around that . . . In some ways, to me, it has felt as if we are both pregnant on some level, as we are both female bodied, and using Maggie's egg, and my uterus. I've definitely said and felt "we are pregnant" more than "my pregnancy" because that just feels true. And at the same time it's been important for me, and for us, to recognize that I'm the one physically pregnant, and going through a lot of changes.”
~ Jennifer // 37 weeks
“As a surrogate, one of the most profound experiences of my journey was witnessing how my children (4) and (6) responded to the pregnancy. Their ability to easily grasp that families are made in different ways and are made up of different constellations is inspiring. They were able to comprehend this process in ways that some adults could not, and embrace the pregnancy and the little human growing inside unconditionally. I think through witnessing them, I allowed myself to open up and love this little being knowing they wouldn't be a part of my family in the traditional sense once they were born - which allowed me to really learn the lesson of loving and letting go. .
~ Kelly // 37 weeks
“For me being pregnant is exciting, like you’re all potential energy. Since losing my son, Milo, at 31 weeks there is also the anxiety of knowing that things can go wrong, and waiting for bad news. But overall, I’ve loved being pregnant each time.”
~ Amanda // 37 weeks
“There are some fears. About childbirth. About exhaustion. About somehow not providing the life of love, adventure and wonder that I want to. And, there are lots of beautiful hopes and the golden mystery of what is to come.”
~ Merima // 39 weeks
“Miserable. A means to an end.”
~ Terri // 37 weeks
Tremendous thanks to everyone who has showed up as their beautiful, vulnerable, complicated selves, and trusted me. This is by no means the whole collection! It just felt like enough to share for now. If you, or someone you know is pregnant, and interested in being photographed, please reach out! I do still offer (and love) client focused maternity sessions, but project focused sessions are a labor of love, and no cost.