I recently had the privilege to work with a client in San Francisco who was gifted a fashion-inspired maternity photoshoot by a close friend to provide a beautiful and lasting record of this time. What an amazing gift and friend, right?! This client’s experience got me thinking about my favorite pregnancy and postpartum items I purchased or gifts I received during my pregnancy, and I wanted to share them with you all in blog form. Side note, these are honestly my favorites as I am not currently sponsored by any of these brands – apart, of course, from my own photography studio, which I’m definitely going to mention below 😉
Looking for a pregnancy or maternity gift for your wife, partner, friend, daughter, sister, yourself…. anyone? Here are my top 6 gifts from my pregnancy and postpartum days.
6. Postpartum underwear!
I’m serious. I recommend these to all of my maternity clients, and I have gifted them to several close friends. I happened upon this brand after I had my daughter, and I am so freakin glad. These were honestly the only things that made me feel semi-normal, a little sinched, and most comfortable right after giving birth. I purchased a pack of these Nyssa Fourthwear Postpartum Recovery Underwear and never looked back! They have a seamless pocket sewn in to hold an ice or heat therapy pad between the legs, at the site of a cesarean incision, and around the back to help soothe back aches and pains. Thank you to whoever created these!
5. A chic diaper bag with room for her laptop.
As much as you may love a gorgeous handbag pre-baby, in the early stages of motherhood, everything you would normally carry in your purse gets lumped in with babe’s diapers and snacks for a while. I need all of my accessories to be black with gold hardware, and a diaper bag was no exception for me. This particular the Harper bag from Mina Baie included a laptop sleeve that was big enough for my 15-inch MacBook. Many bags only fit the 13-inch or smaller, so this was a big win for me, especially when we began traveling and flying with my daughter.
4. Easy to prepare food so she doesn’t have to order takeout.
Soon after giving birth, my appendix decided it needed to come out, too 🥴 I was stuck in bed, healing with a newborn and no help apart from my husband. Since we don’t live near any family and didn’t have a lot of friends in the Bay Area yet, one of the best and most appreciated gifts we received was healthy, prepared foods from Good Eggs. My husband’s coworkers sent us two giant boxes of things like taco night ingredients, frittatas, soups, etc. It was all really good, and we were so grateful not to have to cook or order takeout for a week straight.
3. A comfortable, silky robe she’ll want to live in.
Now I know a robe sounds like a super basic “hospital bag” type item she already has, but does she have one she actually loves wearing, is light and comfortable enough to sleep in, AND looks great in those first hospital photos with baby? I lived in this Lunya robe during my postpartum days and felt cute doing so. Breastfeeding didn’t end up working out for me, but this wrap robe gave me easy pumping access while I was trying. It’s also super chic and makes you feel stylish even if the rest of you feels disheveled and unrested (which, let’s be honest, it will.) It was honestly just a nice, pretty pick-me-up that I know any new mama would appreciate. I even slept in it religiously.
2. A luxury maternity photoshoot experience!
Do you want to pamper a mama-to-be or give her a super unique and special experience? A maternity photoshoot at Andrea Liora Studios can help her celebrate her body during pregnancy and the bond between her and her baby. At our San Francisco Bay area photography studio, I offer custom-tailored maternity sessions that combine fashion/editorial looks with modern fine art, nude silhouettes, and even boudoir-styled maternity with gorgeous lingerie if a client wishes. We also include professional makeup artistry with every session so she can feel pampered and extra confident during her photoshoot. Every session is designed with the client’s personality, style, and comfort in mind. Even though I didn’t feel super beautiful while I was pregnant, I look at my portraits now and treasure them. I looked like an absolute stunner! I just didn’t realize it at the time. Thank goodness for the photos!
1. A motherhood or breastfeeding photoshoot.
Remember what I said about pampering mama-to-be above? A new mom deserves this even more! Giving her the chance to relax while she gets glammed up and has a few gorgeous photos taken of herself before a partner or friend arrives at the studio with the baby is a solid gold gift idea, my friends! Gifting her memories of herself as she first becomes a mother? Absolutely priceless. The photo above is printed, framed super large, and hangs above my desk. It will forever be my favorite self-portrait and favorite photo of me with my daughter. To remember this super peaceful and beautiful moment between my daughter and me, as I first met myself as a mother, is incredibly special to me. I provide these motherhood and breastfeeding photography sessions at our San Francisco studio to any of our previous maternity or boudoir photography clients once their baby is at least three months old.
