IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.

Photographer captures the not-so-glamorous side of pregnancy

Guenther says pregnant women are "superheroes," something she's trying to show through her latest photo series.
/ Source: TODAY Contributor

With her first photo series, “Best Case Scenario,” Hoboken, New Jersey lifestyle photographer Danielle Guenther captured the chaos and beauty of everyday parenting moments, from attempting to breastfeed a newborn to dining out with little kids while they wreck the restaurant.

In her new series, “What the BUMP!?,” Guenther says she is rewinding things a bit, focusing on maternity photos and going backward to show what happens when women are in the process of adding a baby to their already chaotic lives.

OverDO
OverDODanielle Guenther Photography

“We’re really superheroes, trying to house and grow a baby for ten months,” Guenther told TODAY Parents. “Some of us are doing it for the first time and are super excited, but then I have friends who are on their second or third or even fourth child and they are over it. Being able to showcase and shine light on this really amazing thing we do as women is the point of this series.”

The series currently consists of four images, which cover pregnancy woes such as the crazy things moms-to-be do to try to induce labor, or trying not to give in to morning sickness during a work meeting.

Calling for Backup
Calling for BackupDanielle Guenther Photography

“I thought it would be fun to really capture the whole stages of pregnancy and how there are some real struggles in there,” said Guenther. “As women, we often put on this smiley face and say the pregnancy is going great, but then we get home and are like, ‘I’m exhausted. I’m absolutely tired of this.’ Especially when we’re already taking care of kids and now we’re dealing with being pregnant, too.”

Morning Sickness
Morning SicknessDanielle Guenther Photography

Guenther says she has plans to add to the series in the future — but for now, she’s waiting for all of her models-to-be to pop bigger baby bumps. In the meantime, the photographer says she’s keeping all sorts of ideas in mind.

Priorities
PrioritiesDanielle Guenther Photography

“A lot of the time, people don’t want to talk about the struggle of how hard it can be, but at the same time that it’s crazy and chaotic, there are all these moments that are perfect,” said Guenther. “You have this beautiful side and this crazy side to it at the same time, and that’s a fun combination to capture.”