Eugene, Oregon maternity photographer: Milk bath with Annabelle

These photos are from another milk bath maternity photography session I did back in July. I can’t believe how fast the summer has gone! Hard to believe it’s already September and my girls will be back in school soon. Although the time has flown, I’ve been lucky enough to spend my summer doing lots of things I love, including, of course, photography, and I’m delighted to be able to show you the photos from my session with Annabelle.

Annabelle had her little girl, Thea, last month, and I had the chance to welcome them, along with Thea’s big sister, Annalise, to my photography studio in Eugene, Oregon for a newborn photography session. I photographed Annalise as a newborn and at several points over the last two years, so it was exciting to have her in the studio again with her brand new sibling. They are so adorable together, and I will be sure to get their pictures up on the blog as soon as possible so you can enjoy them too!

This session, of course, is from just before Thea arrived on the scene, so we’ll take a quick step back into the past so you can experience Annabelle’s maternity photography session as well. 

Annabelle had several miscarriages before she got pregnant with Thea, so she wanted to incorporate the rainbow baby theme into our milk bath photography shoot. For those who may be unfamiliar with the term, “rainbow babies” are what we in the baby loss community call infants who are born shortly after an older sibling was stillborn or lost in miscarriage or infancy. It is an inexpressibly difficult thing to go through the loss of a child, but we remind ourselves that just as rainbows follow storms, so can good things follow heartbreak. Rainbow babies are a beautiful fulfillment of that hope. 

To convey the idea of a rainbow, as well as to put the idea of hope and beauty into concrete imagery, we used bright blooms in all different colors, and made a flower crown for Annabelle to wear during her maternity photography session. The vivid hues of the flower petals are lovely on their own, but in combination with each other they create a joyous riot of color which is even more stunning against the creamy white of the milk bath. It truly does express the unrivaled happiness that a rainbow baby brings.

Annabelle herself is so pretty. Her smooth dark hair and golden skin look just as amazing as the flowers against the white of both the milk bath and her maternity gown, and she has that perfect complexion that looks good with anything!

It was wonderful to see Annabelle again and to celebrate with her as she prepared to welcome her new little one into the world. She is the mother of a beautiful family, and I am so happy that her family is growing and thriving. I look forward to having her, Thea, and Annalise in my photography studio again many times in the future!