Ask a Boudoir Photographer: "I've had two kids and my body isn't what it used to be. How can I feel confident for a boudoir photoshoot?"
Can I Do a Boudoir Photoshoot After Having Children?
Question:
“Hi Chicago Boudoir, I have a question. I’ve been thinking about doing a boudoir photoshoot, but I’ve had kids and my body definitely isn’t what it used to be. I have stretch marks, gained weight and things just look different now. I’m worried that I won’t look good in the photos anymore. How can I feel confident going into a boudoir photoshoot?”
Answer from Chicago Boudoir:
Girl... I hear you. ❤️ I have two kiddos myself, and I know firsthand how much pregnancy and motherhood can change your body. It's so easy to look in the mirror and think, "I don't even recognize myself anymore." But the truth is that motherhood does not make you less beautiful. In many ways, it adds an entirely new layer of strength, softness, and depth that deserves to be celebrated. Boudoir after baby photoshoots are an amazing way to build your confidence back.
Your Body Has Done Something Incredible
Your body has carried life. Stretch marks, softer skin, and curves don't erase your beauty. They're simply reminders of everything your body has been through. They are reminders of what your body has been capable of doing.
Many women come into their boudoir session feeling unsure about these changes, but leave with a completely new perspective on their body. I've photographed well over 2,000 women over the years, and I can honestly tell you that these worries are incredibly common. You are not the only woman who's walked through my studio doors wondering if she'll look good in her photos.
Boudoir Celebrates Every Stage of Womanhood
Boudoir photography is not about capturing a past version of yourself. It is about celebrating who you are today.
Some of the most meaningful sessions happen when women allow themselves to appreciate their body exactly as it is now. Confidence looks different in your 30s, 40s, 50s, and beyond—and honestly, I think there's something really beautiful about that.
Motherhood is a powerful chapter of that story.
Flattering Posing and Lighting Make a Huge Difference
Most women who come into a boudoir session are not professional models and often have the same concerns about their body.
As an experienced boudoir photographer, I understand how to guide you through poses that flatter your body and highlight your best features. Lighting, angles, and small adjustments in posture can make a dramatic difference in how your body looks in photos. You don't have to know how to pose—that's my job! I guide you through every pose from your fingertips to your toes!
The goal is always to create images that make you feel confident and beautiful.
Retouching Is Included to Polish Your Images
It is also important to know that your final images are professionally retouched.
My goal isn't to make you look like someone else. Instead, retouching helps polish the images by smoothing small distractions and softening things like stretch marks, skin texture, or temporary blemishes.
Every image you choose receives professional retouching at no additional cost, so your final photos look beautiful, natural, and refined while still feeling like you.
Many Mothers Wish They Had Done This Sooner
One of the things I hear all the time after a session is that they wish they had done it earlier.
Not because their body was “better” before children, but because the experience helped them reconnect with themselves again. For a moment, the focus was not on taking care of everyone else.
It was simply about celebrating themselves.
Ready to Celebrate the Woman You Are Today?
If you have been thinking about doing a boudoir photoshoot but felt unsure because of changes in your body after having children, you are not alone. These concerns come up often, and they are something we talk about regularly with women.
A complimentary phone consultation is a great place to start with absolutely NO pressure. We can talk about what the experience is like, how posing and retouching work, and how we create images that help women feel confident at every stage of life.
Call or text 312-425-2946 to schedule your complimentary consultation and learn more about planning your boudoir experience.
Allison’s Story: “After Two Kids, I Didn’t Feel Like the Same Woman Anymore”
Before booking my boudoir session, I kept thinking about the same thing: my body before kids.
I have two children, and like a lot of moms, my body changed quite a bit after pregnancy. My stomach is softer now, I have some stretch marks, and things just don’t look exactly the way they used to.
For a long time I caught myself comparing my current body to the one I had in my twenties. I would look at old photos and think, That was my body before kids.
Somewhere along the way I started to feel less like a woman and more like “just a mom.”
Don’t get me wrong, I love my kids more than anything. But between school schedules, packing lunches, work, and running the household, I started to feel like that was my entire identity.
The idea of feeling sexy again felt… distant.
Still, I kept seeing boudoir photos online and wondering what it would feel like to reconnect with that side of myself. At the same time, I worried that my “mom body” wouldn’t look good in photos.
Eventually I reached out to Chicago Boudoir just to ask a few questions.
Liz was so reassuring. She told me that a lot of her clients are moms and that many women come in feeling exactly the way I did. She also explained that posing, lighting, and angles make a huge difference in how the body photographs.
That gave me enough courage to book.
The day of the shoot was honestly such a refreshing experience. Instead of rushing around taking care of everyone else, I was sitting in a chair having my hair and makeup done and being taken care of for a change.
Liz guided me through every pose so I never had to guess what to do.
And something surprising happened during the session.
For the first time in a long time, I stopped thinking about the things I didn’t like about my body. I was just enjoying the moment.
When I saw the photos later, I actually got a little emotional.
I didn’t see “a mom body.” I actually saw me again. I saw a woman who looked confident, feminine, and beautiful. Yes, my body was different than it had been years ago, but it also told a story of everything it had been through.
And somehow that made the photos even more meaningful.
After years of feeling like motherhood had replaced that part of my identity, the session reminded me of something important.
You can be an amazing mom… and still be a confident, sexy woman too.
Ask a Boudoir Photographer Series
This article is part of our Ask a Boudoir Photographer series. Many women have questions, concerns and hesitations before booking something as personal a boudoir photoshoot, and that’s completely normal. In this series we answer questions that real Chicago women ask us all the time about boudoir photography. If you’d like to read more in this series, you can explore other questions and answers here. And if you have a question of your own, please text us at 312-425-2946 or email it to hello@chicago-boudoir.com.