Women differ in their opinions of pregnancy, and often, those opinions change throughout the process, especially at the end of the gestation game. During the middle trimester, for example, the future mama might feel like a vibrant life-giver at one with all, but in the final days of pregnancy she might just feel whale-ish and "done."

Regardless, after the baby is born, many women appreciate visual documentation of the months prior to the birth, and those families who took maternity photos or hired a professional to shoot a series usually cherish them.

In 2009, Shorewood mom Kristin Piotrowski was photographed during her third pregnancy. She opted for family photos as well as photos of her pregnant body.

"The photos are beautiful. They’re so intimate and so special. We have some beautiful, playful moments of us enjoying all that it means to be a family of four and waiting for the arrival of our newest addition," says Piotrowski.

Sylke Vonk is a local photographer who specializes in maternity and newborn photography. Vonk works strictly on location -- she does not work from a studio -- because she believes in photographing her subjects in their natural setting. Also, she prefers to photograph women during pregnancy as well as later with their newborns to tell more of the visual story.

"I like to show how beautiful life was carrying the baby during pregnancy, like while reading in bed or sipping tea at the kitchen table, and then show a similar situation, only after the baby was born," says Vonk, who moved to the United States from Kleve, Germany, in 1991.

Helping the mom-to-be to feel comfortable is top priority for maternity photographers, including Allie Gadziemski, the owner of Proud to Introduce Photography that’s based in Wauwatosa.  She says she will photograph the mom wherever she is most comfortable: in her home, outdoors or at her studio.

Prior to a shoot, Gadziemski casually interviews the mom to find out what she wants and how much she wants to expose of her body.

"Most women want a more trendy / bold look or more of a soft / feminine look. I am open to beautifully lit nude silhouettes, but nothing that I photograph would ever be uncomfortable to look at later," Gadziemski says.

Vonk believes that if the mother is photographed doing what she normally does in life, she will naturally feel more comfortable, and this is why she does not shoot in a studio.

"I guide them and recommend what they could wear to make them even more beautiful than they already are. Even though the images depict simple, everyday situations, they are always carefully designed," she says. "Everyone always wants to look their best in a photograph, especially when they are pregnant."

Gadziemski says most of her clients are not first-time moms. She believes this is because women often appreciate the experience and understand the short time-frame of pregnancy after going through it at least once before.

"Once you really feel how quickly your pregnancy comes and goes -- especially a few months after giving birth -- you really value those pregnancy images that much more," says Gadziemski.

Some women like to take photos of themselves throughout their pregnancy, often once a month to document their growing bellies. Gadziemski says most of her clients want professional photos when they are definitely showing, but not during the final days of the 40th week.

"I generally recommend to come in for maternity photos between 30 and 38 weeks," she says. "But I’m happy to do it later for procrastinators. For many women, at the very end, they’re not feeling it any more, but they want to show off their pregnancy curves."

Piotrowski -- who was photographed by Gadziemski -- says she was confident during her maternity photo session, but that’s most likely because it was her third pregnancy.

"Surprisingly, I wasn’t shy or embarrassed, but I guess after having children you don’t get embarrassed easily," she says.