Everyone loves a baby bump, and chances are, you’re super proud of your own. If you’re anything like me, you want at least a billion and one pictures of your new belly, but you might not be sure how to do it justice. Nobody wants to look “just a little chubby” or like she just has a beer gut in her maternity photos, so here are a few of the tips I follow to ensure that I get the best picture possible:

How to Dress

1) Wear shirts that are “strategically loose” or just tight all together.
The clingier the fabric, the better. If you wear a shirt that is loose all around, you might end up looking just a little chubby instead of like you have a little passenger on board. If it’s “strategically loose,” it will shape your girls and come out looser right on top of your bump. An empire-waist top is a good example of this.

Note: If you’re like me, and you’re not a huge fan of the new “outie” belly button you’ve obtained, try wearing a tank top or camisole under tight shirts. The extra layer of fabric will conceal it most of the time!

2) Wear light-colored tops.
We all know that dark colors like navy and black work well to conceal that extra five pounds we put on over spring break, but you have to remember that they do the same with your baby belly. The lighter the color, the less is hidden in the dark folds of the fabric.

However, if you have a darker top that you’re just dying to wear, you can help it out by placing your hands at the very bottom of your belly. That will bring out the contrast of the belly against your hips.

3) Wear form-fitting bottoms.
When your pelvis and legs are looking skinny, your belly looks rounder and more prominent.

How to Position Yourself

1) Make sure you are angled toward — if not completely facing — the side, and smile.
The side view is definitely the most flattering and revealing of your bump. If you face the camera straight on, your bump tends to get absorbed into the rest of your torso. And while the overall focus is your belly, but it’s nice to have a pretty smile in there, too.

2) Have your hands holding your belly or on your hips.
If they hang at your sides, it will most likely look awkward and unnatural — not to mention, it will take the focus away from your belly.

How to Take the Picture

1) Make sure that your whole torso is in the frame.
You’re going to want your whole belly showing off as proof of the little squishy that’s growing inside of you.

2) If someone else is available to take the picture, ask for help.
My husband is by no means a photographer, but he gets the job done in fewer shots than when I take the picture myself. As long as your helper can get you in the frame, you can always go back and crop the picture the way you want in a simple software program like Paint.

3) If no one else is available, use a timer.
I use my iPhone for all of my maternity pictures because it’s readily available, and it’s a lot less work to upload and edit than if I use my Nikon. I downloaded a timer application that lets me set the time and number of pictures to take before stopping. (I use a delay of 10 seconds before it takes four pictures, each a second apart.) This gives me a chance to have several pictures in the same position with potentially different/better expressions. For example, I might be in a position I really like, but sometimes my smile looks more relaxed by the last picture.

Note: Find a good, sturdy place to set your camera. You’ll want it to be where you can see how you’ll look from that angle and easily take many pictures without moving it much. Any place goes! I set mine anywhere from a chair arm to a jar full of seashells in my bathroom.

4) Take the picture in front of a pretty or clean, plain background.
You don’t want your laundry basket full of dirty clothes or that pile of dirty dishes forever etched in the memory of how you looked at 27 weeks pregnant. A lot of the time, I take pictures in my bathroom because I have a mirror, things to position my camera on, and a clean white door. I’ve also taken pictures in front of my shower curtain or with fabric hanging from a door as a background.

5) Make sure there is good lighting.
Natural daylight always trumps the yellowish hues of indoor lighting. However, if you have to take a picture inside, or it’s dark outside, turn on as many lights as you can to even out the lighting or go to a well-lit place such as a bathroom.

That’s pretty much it! I know it might sound a little complicated, but once you get started, it’s a piece of cake!

Ok, so you’re still reading… good.

When we started the baby guessing game website, WhatsInMyBelly.com, we wanted to create a fun way to bring our family and friends together around the birth of our 2nd child. As I worked on the website and waited on our new addition, I couldn’t shake that dreaded fear …  ”What if something bad happens to my wife or my unborn child?” I can’t imagine the heartache surrounding loosing a newborn. But it does happen.

Last week, I saw a post on Facebook (thanks Jessica), that mentioned an organization called Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep. This organization provides free professional photo sessions for parents who have lost a baby.

I know. You’re probably having the first thoughts I had. If I lost a baby, I’m not sure I’d want photos. But after some more thought… my mind began to change. If you only get to spend a few minutes or days with your child, wouldn’t you want to remember them that much more? It turns out that having photographs of your child is part of the healing process for many parents who go through this. Many go on to have other children, and they don’t want to forget that limited time with the one who left so quickly.

Now, Sandy Puc’, C0-founder of NILMDTS, has been honored as one of the 2012 L’Oréal, Women of Worth. The ten honorees will compete via online voting for a chance to win $25,000 for their charity.  Public online voting for the Women of Worth National Honoree will take place from November 5th through November 21st on www.womenofworth.com.

So, if you want to help Parents who have suffered through the loss of a newborn, just click this link and vote for Sandy. If she wins, Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep will get $25 grand. That will help a lot more parents heal through the art of photography. You can vote once a day!

Now, to learn a little more about NILMDTS, and how this grant could help the organization, we had a little Q&A with Mindy Tappan, PR/Media Outreach Manager.

1. Tell us a little about your organization and how you got started.

The mission of NILMDTS is to introduce remembrance photography to parents suffering the loss of a baby with the free gift of professional portraiture. We believe these images serve as an important step in the family’s healing process by honoring the child’s legacy.

In February 2005, photographer Sandy Puc’ received a unique call from a couple, Cheryl and Mike Haggard, to photograph their six day-old son Maddux who was going to be pulled off life support.  Sandy rearranged her schedule to come to their aid.  Sandy took portraits of them cradling their son. She photographed the couple with Maddux at the hospital before he was removed from life support and after — when he was free from the tubes and the wires that had sustained him.

Shortly after, Cheryl and Sandy discussed starting a nonprofit to provide the same photography service to other families in the same situation as Cheryl.  In April 2005, Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep became a nonprofit and has provided thousands of families of babies who are stillborn or are at risk of dying as newborns with free professional portraits with their baby.

In seven years, NILMDTS now administers a network of more than 2,700 active volunteer photographers in the United States and in 40 international countries.

2. Over the years how many families has NILMDTS photographed and how many photorequests do you receive each year?

At least 25,000 families around the world and in every state have been served. However, because of the sheer volume of photographers and services provided, it is difficult to track and the number may be much greater.  NILMDTS also trains nurses to take the images if a photographer is not available.  Most of these sessions are not counted.  Therefore, it is difficult to truly measure the number of families served through of NILMDTS.  Beyond the numbers, the gift NILMDTS offers is priceless for the families.

3. In your experience, do most parents who experience a tragedy of this type seek out photos? Have you had any who declined the photos?

While parents sometimes at first don’t think about getting images, they are always glad they did.  We have a number of parents who had losses before we were founded and wish we were around so they could receive our services.

The images that we provide become a part of the healing process for most families.

4. What kind of costs are associated with your organization? What is the average cost to photograph one family?

In order to manage thousands of volunteer photographers and have an extensive online search to find a photographer, it costs about $100 per session.  This does not take into account the generosity of the photographers who graciously give of their time, talent, and many out-of-pocket costs to provide the sessions.

5. L’oreal is offering up a $25,000 grant to the winner of this competition. If you get the most votes, and win the grant, how would that help your organization?

Winning the additional $25,000 from L’Oréal would help provide additional training for photographers and more support services for NILMDTS. That translates into an additional 250 families we could serve that may not otherwise be served.

6. Other than voting, what could someone reading this do to help your organization?

Photographers can apply to become a volunteer within our organization. We have several volunteer positions including affiliated photographer, assistant to a photographer, parent coordinator, digital retouch artist (DRA), and area coordinator.

Non-photographers can support this non-profit organization by making a donation through the web site or by mailing a donation to 2305 E. Arapahoe Road, Suite 220, Centennial, CO 80122.

If you would like to read some of the stories and see some of the photos taken by NILMDTS photographers, click here.

Again, if you want to help parents who have suffered through the loss of a newborn, just click this link and vote for Sandy. If she wins, Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep will get $25k. This will help NILMDTS reach out to 250 families. You can vote once a day!