Parents said my maternity photos were “erotic”

[Ttcgirl89]

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?

Yes, because in a bikini you are in the thing you are wearing for a specific purpose of being at the beach or in water. A dress half undone implies further undressing to come. It's inherently sexual and I'd be embarrassed to see that on anyone let alone my own daughter

Yes, but it's the context of clothing, isn't it? On a beach on a sunny day, yes. In a shopping centre in Stevenage, not so much.
It's not about the amount of flesh on show, it's the presentation and the context.

I think maternity photos are lovely. Even though I didn’t take any myself. I don’t think there’s anything erotic about a pregnant belly, don't pay them no mind. I think it’s a nice memory to look back and show your child when they’re older.

Personally I’m not keen on them. When I see them on social media from some kind of celebrity I do normally cringe a little and think to myself ‘why’.
Obviously some people want to document everything and want these photos but for me this would be a personal thing not to put on social media or sent to family/friends unless maybe they asked to see them.

The major reason I would never have done a photo shoot with pregnant belly out was because mine was covered in stretch marks and was not something I wanted to have pictured😂

This. And I would see “gazes adoringly” as hard to do and not make it seem lascivious

I had pregnancy shoots done for both my pregnancies. The photos are beautiful and in an album, physical and digital. My husband and I like to look at them sometimes along with our wedding photos.

I have no idea what makes you think this is warped, but it isn't. Find something else to feed your misplaced superiority complex.

Why do I think that? Just my opinion, obvs, and it's on the back of being a captive audience to such images. It's saying 'look at meeeeeee' aren't I 'special', 'gorgeous', 'clever', 'unique'? - it's wanting people to buy into your own image of yourself. Well, you, your baby's father, your mum may agree with you, but please, spare the rest of us wanting to put hot pokers into our eyes.

Hahahahaha good to know 😂 yeah I won’t be showing anything of the sort 😂 lol

Im guessing its because you had your dress unbuttoned down the front rather than just posing in swim wear

There's more projection here than my local Cineworld. Ironically, you are making this all about you.

😂

Solid response!

Normal, for bogans.

That's a bit harsh.

I can't say I've ever had a maternity shoot, but you could say any photo ever taken is saying "oooh look at me - aren't I speshul?"

"Oooh look at me, I'm the first woman in history to go on holiday - aren't I speshul?"

"Oooh look at me, I'm the first woman in history to get married - aren't I speshul?"

"Oooh look at me, I'm the first woman in history to celebrate Christmas - aren't I speshul?'"

Why, thank you. I agree. 😄

I bet you had a baby shower as well didn't you @Ttcgirl89 ?

Sorry not for me, think they're a bit "icky"

I sure did! 🫶🏼

Well if ypur photos were taken just so you and your h can look at them and share the first experience of your wee child then that's lovely.
It's totally different from people taking photos of their " baby bump" as a fashion accessory. Which " celebrities" do and which apparently other people do.

I think it’s quite widespread in the way that gender reveals are quite widespread, possibly more so. What do you mean by “normal”?

Really quite shocked at some of these responses!

I’m currently sat on my sofa with my 2 week old newborn in my arms. I had a maternity photoshoot done when I was 31 weeks. I’m in the UK, and they are very much a ‘thing’ here - just google ‘maternity photoshoot (your area)’ and I’m sure a load of businesses will pop up. They’re usually done by photographers who do baby/newborn photos.

I decided to get some done because this was my second pregnancy, and we’re not planning any more children. I’m actually a woman who has largely enjoyed being pregnant (for the most part, anyway!) and to me, this was the end of a special time in my life - I’m never planning to be pregnant again. So I wanted some photos just to document that time. I didn’t do it with my first pregnancy, just this one. I’m also a very sentimental, soppy sod!

Also, the benefit of doing it the second time around is that I got some really lovely photos of me, my husband and my 2 year old. I currently have one of the photos from the shoot as my phone background. Me in a long floaty dress, holding my 2 year old, absolutely no skin on show but the positioning of the dress, my hand and where my toddler is sitting highlights the bump. I also have some photos with an open style dress with the bump on show, but I wouldn’t describe a single one as ‘erotic’.

I didn’t in any way get these photos done for social media, or in attempt to show off or feel special or whatever PP’s have claimed these shoots are about. Mine was completely personal, and done as a way to look back on my pregnancy. The fact that some on this thread are describing these kinds of photos as ‘warped’ or ‘weird’ just seems bizarre to me. In what world is a photo of a pregnant woman where you can see her stomach ‘warped’? Pregnancy isn’t something to be ashamed of!

OP, obviously we haven’t seen the photos, but I do think it’s a bit odd for your family to label them erotic. I just think they’re maybe a bit unfamiliar/uncomfortable with the concept. Nothing wrong with that, it seems lots of posters on this thread feel the same, but I wouldn’t let it bother you. They’re your photos, of a special time in your life for you and your husband. At the end of the day, that’s all that matters, no one else’s opinion is relevant.

Witless, as you know.

It's pretty obvious that you would like to get/have got pictures like this for your own happy memories. However, you let yourself be ruled by some weird sort of puritanism that makes you think it's somehow immoral and so you didn't, and now you're enraged by any woman who didn't buy into the same pseudo-moralistic garbage. To be fair, you aren't alone.

How happy it seems to make you...

I wouldn’t have one done personally, but why is it sad? Some people like being pregnant (I hated it, because I felt very sick) and it’s a special time for them. So have photos taken? Why not!

Not likely - I only know of 1 person who has done a maternity photo shoot, and those photos were definitely deliberately “erotic”!

In contrast, I don’t have any pics of me pregnant/bump and I’m quite sad about it now, 14 years later. At least OP won’t have that problem.

Thank you 🙏🏼 and congratulations on your new baby ❤️