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Original poster

Parents said my maternity photos were “erotic”

400 replies

Ttcgirl89 · 14/09/2025 13:42

I had maternity photos taken on the beach when I was pregnant. I live in Australia and am from NZ and recently my parents came to visit us and meet our baby. I was looking through photos and my dad said that the maternity photos were “erotic” and my stepmum agreed. My brother asked what we were talking about and my Dad was like “you don’t wanna look at them, they’ll make you blush”.

I sent the photos to them after I had them done months ago and I thought they were so lovely and special. They were taken at “our beach” where my husband and I swim in summer I am wearing a dress in all of the photos and my bra is covered, with the buttons down the front undone to show the belly. My husband and I don’t see anything erotic about these photos at all and I was shocked that they thought that. I feel really awkward and embarrassed now that I sent them to them if that’s what they thought about them!

Is this a weird reaction to seeing your daughter’s maternity pictures?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
8
Nagginthenag · 14/09/2025 14:23

Ttcgirl89 · 14/09/2025 14:19

I live at the beach in Perth. Where are you?

Show quote history

Sutherlandshire, NSW - well, not now but up to 18 months ago, so maybe it's a recent thing. But in all my years of walking the esplanade and park I have never seen a maternity shoot. A few weddings, definitely.

Viviennemary · 14/09/2025 14:23

Yuck. Well you did ask.

Peteryourhorseisheree · 14/09/2025 14:23

I was forced to look at a work colleagues maternity shoot photos once.

She and her husband were totally starkers. You couldn’t see anything, they were entwined in embraces, but fuck me, it was a bit soft porn.

And, not to sound like wanker, but her husband could have doubled for Shrek.

Your ones sound fine in comparison.

Original poster
Ttcgirl89 · 14/09/2025 14:24

Ketzele · 14/09/2025 14:22

You were lucky. When I was heavily pregnant my father, who I barely know (he left when I was a baby and I've seen him maximum once a year since) found out and begged to take some maternity shots (he's a photographer).

I thought oh that will be nice, and maybe I should be bonding with him, so I went to his studio just a few hours before I went into labour.

The resulting photos... well, let's just say that one of them featured me balancing a cup and saucer on top of my baby bump. Cheesy. And that is the one he featured on his storefront. And that an astonishing number of people I know saw it there, and rang to take the piss.

Omg 🤣🤣 maybe my parents would have been more comfortable with a cup and saucer..

OP posts:
KateDelRick · 14/09/2025 14:24

Verydemure · 14/09/2025 14:15

I think the baby bump photos have become a bit naff.

i totally get wanting to have nice pictures. when I was pregnant, I made sure I had some pictures- but mainly to show DC when they were older. I didn’t do the professional photoshoot as they all seem a bit staged and tacky. They remind me of those 1980’s glamour photos of people’s mums photographed through a haze of Elnett

It’s become an ‘event’ - a bit like gender reveals and baby showers. These have all become part of the ritual, but mainly as another way to extract cash out of people.

i also think it plays into the whole narcissistic world of social media. It used to be something that celebs would do for a magazine cover.

Same here, my husband took a couple of photos of me, fully dressed, in the back garden, just as a memento of my large pregnant self.
We didn't share them, who's interested?
I think you're right, it's another thing which is an event, for sm.
Can you imagine going along a beach and seeing couples having "maternity shoots"?!

Easyozy · 14/09/2025 14:24

Yes I think it's very weird your dad associated a picture of your bump with erotica. I'd be weirded out if my dad said that to me.

KateDelRick · 14/09/2025 14:25

Peteryourhorseisheree · 14/09/2025 14:23

I was forced to look at a work colleagues maternity shoot photos once.

She and her husband were totally starkers. You couldn’t see anything, they were entwined in embraces, but fuck me, it was a bit soft porn.

And, not to sound like wanker, but her husband could have doubled for Shrek.

Your ones sound fine in comparison.

😂😂😂
Oh my god, how did you keep a straight face?!

Original poster
Ttcgirl89 · 14/09/2025 14:25

Peteryourhorseisheree · 14/09/2025 14:23

I was forced to look at a work colleagues maternity shoot photos once.

She and her husband were totally starkers. You couldn’t see anything, they were entwined in embraces, but fuck me, it was a bit soft porn.

And, not to sound like wanker, but her husband could have doubled for Shrek.

Your ones sound fine in comparison.

LOL some of these comments have me howling 😂

OP posts:
JohnBullshit · 14/09/2025 14:26

@Ttcgirl89 It's buried deep in an album somewhere on a high shelf, with black tape over certain bits in case some twisted individual should find a largely blue body with protruding navel in any way titillating. I'd be happier with the tape obscuring my face.

KateDelRick · 14/09/2025 14:26

parakeet · 14/09/2025 14:10

Google beer belly maternity pics for some light relief folks. Eg https://www.boredpanda.com/20-hilarious-beer-belly-maternity-photos/

😂brilliant!

Ballywas · 14/09/2025 14:26

Ttcgirl89 · 14/09/2025 14:22

What does “open to her breakfast” mean? 😅

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Open all the way down over her stomach (where her breakfast goes once she eats it).

it’s really not something I’d want to see.

my own dd. On her own. Pregnant. Cradling her bump. Maybe. But I wouldn’t have it on display or show anyone. Not even my partner - who isn’t her father.

and I certainly wouldn’t want to see one of my partners daughter with her husband and her half naked and him gazing “adoringly” at her bump.

FourIsNewSix · 14/09/2025 14:26

If you have knickers and bra on, but not on show, covered by a dress, it sounds quite fine for me.

However, the whole fact that you are pregnant loudly points to the fact that you have had sex and that you have a sex life. While it isn't wrong or shocking, I suppose it is something many parents don't want to think about in their children.
So, they might be trying hard to focus on the grandchild side of the whole business, and when showing a photo of just you, loving, happy and impregnated by their son, you make it harder for them to not think about the elephant in the room.

I don't think you've done anything wrong by having the photos or offering them to have a look, but it seems you've accidentally found a troubled spot they might not have known about having.

RaraRachael · 14/09/2025 14:27

Whatever next? I'm glad they're not a thing where I live.
Photos of fully clothed women cradling their baby bump like it's going to fall off are bad enough 😂

Original poster
Ttcgirl89 · 14/09/2025 14:27

Nagginthenag · 14/09/2025 14:23

Sutherlandshire, NSW - well, not now but up to 18 months ago, so maybe it's a recent thing. But in all my years of walking the esplanade and park I have never seen a maternity shoot. A few weddings, definitely.

Show quote history

hmm maybe its just a Perth thing then 🤷🏻‍♀️

OP posts:
MumoftwoNC · 14/09/2025 14:27

Jackiepumpkinhead · 14/09/2025 14:22

No idea why you’d send photos of your distended stomach to people anyway. Grim.

It's not the stomach...!

But yeah, I see where both you and your parents are coming from, op. You don't see your naked body as sexual at the moment, and you probably won't while you're breastfeeding either, but other people do/will continue to see it that way.

ThatGlimmeringSea · 14/09/2025 14:28

I live at the coast, UK, and it’s definitely a ‘thing’ at our beach, especially at Golden Hour when the light is perfect for photography.
Usually the woman looks half-frozen in some sort of long but semi-sheer dress, gazing wistfully towards the beach/ her fella/ clump of grass. You can bet your house that at least one pose will be man standing behind woman, her abdomen exposed, and he’s forming a heart with his fingers over her belly button.
Then there’s a follow up session once the baby has arrived, pastel blankets and a big wicker basket as props.

LBFseBrom · 14/09/2025 14:28

brip · 14/09/2025 13:55

all the maternity photo shoots I’ve seen on facebook,
from friends, have been sexy with lots of skin showing.

Yes. There is one particular woman whi had photos taken of her 'bumo'. She wire a sort of negligee, white and fairly see-through which parted to show the bump. It looked as though she wasn't wearing knickers but she was, very tiny ones, you could see the string at the side in one photo. Her little girl was with her and kissing/stroking the bump in some. It also revealed all the tattoos on her legs but that's another story :-). I had never seen anything like it before, it must have cost a bomb. I assumed it was something that chavvy people might do. Most people are happy to be photographed, pregnant, just wearing clothes, not looking naked.

Iamcatmum · 14/09/2025 14:31

Maternity shoots are definitely a thing in the UK.

Saddened by all the comments of people who are disgusted by a pregnant belly, when it’s the most amazing and natural thing in the world. Probably just the body shaming /cabbage soup diet- generation making those comments though.

It’s lovely you have some photos to cherish - I really wish I’d had some done. However I don’t think I’d have shared beyond my husband. Ignore the comments from family they probably just didn’t know what to say - I really can’t imagine how the pictures would look erotic.

ThisCalmRedMember · 14/09/2025 14:32

Leopardspota · 14/09/2025 13:58

Oh come on. That’s like saying wedding photos are like ‘we’re the first people ever to get married’.

Grandparents are usually interested in pregnancy/ grandkids.

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We are but don’t need to see photos of a naked bump 🙈

Original poster
Ttcgirl89 · 14/09/2025 14:33

FourIsNewSix · 14/09/2025 14:26

If you have knickers and bra on, but not on show, covered by a dress, it sounds quite fine for me.

However, the whole fact that you are pregnant loudly points to the fact that you have had sex and that you have a sex life. While it isn't wrong or shocking, I suppose it is something many parents don't want to think about in their children.
So, they might be trying hard to focus on the grandchild side of the whole business, and when showing a photo of just you, loving, happy and impregnated by their son, you make it harder for them to not think about the elephant in the room.

I don't think you've done anything wrong by having the photos or offering them to have a look, but it seems you've accidentally found a troubled spot they might not have known about having.

good points ☺️

OP posts:
Unexpectedlysinglemum · 14/09/2025 14:34

Shortdaysalready · 14/09/2025 13:47

Sorry I'm just non plussed by the fact you seem to think having "maternity photos" taken is normal. And that it's normal to inflict these on other people!

It's bad enough seeing publicity type photos in the media of " baby bumps" without other women jumping on this ridiculous band wagon.

Such hate! I wish I had got some done it’s such a beautiful time in a woman’s life

Original poster
Ttcgirl89 · 14/09/2025 14:35

Iamcatmum · 14/09/2025 14:31

Maternity shoots are definitely a thing in the UK.

Saddened by all the comments of people who are disgusted by a pregnant belly, when it’s the most amazing and natural thing in the world. Probably just the body shaming /cabbage soup diet- generation making those comments though.

It’s lovely you have some photos to cherish - I really wish I’d had some done. However I don’t think I’d have shared beyond my husband. Ignore the comments from family they probably just didn’t know what to say - I really can’t imagine how the pictures would look erotic.

I was not expecting all the negative comments about pregnant woman/distended stomachs being grim, etc! I’ve never thought of pregnancy like that 🫠

OP posts:
Wemdubz · 14/09/2025 14:35

SpamBeansAndWaffles · 14/09/2025 14:09

Weirdly mean responses on this thread. OP wasn't asking whether you approved of maternity photos in general.

I agree.

OP from your description, the photos don’t sound remotely erotic. I would imagine it’s more of a generational thing and just not to your dad’s taste; he probably felt a bit uncomfortable.

If they make you feel happy then you enjoy them with your partner. I wish I had more photos of when I was pregnant in the 90s.

TesChique · 14/09/2025 14:35

Maternity photoshoots are so self indulgent and exhibitionist.

Yabu

Owly11 · 14/09/2025 14:36

Oh my goodness! You sent pics of you in an unbuttoned dress to family! Yes that sounds erotic.