Happy mother’s day to all the mamas! As we settle into the busy season of spring and the end of the school year, I want to take a moment to touch on body positivity and vulnerability. We live in a culture that tells us, especially women, that our bodies are less then. Until they look a certain way or fit a specific ideal. As a result, so many of us don’t get in front of the camera as often as we should because we don’t feel pretty enough or put together enough. There’s always some part of our bodies that we feel insecure about.

I try so hard to always tell my littles that I love my body. Its strength, its power. Its ability to do amazing things. When my children see me lift at the gym, I tell them it’s because it makes me feel strong and healthy and that it is important to prioritize health. I don’t lift to fit a certain body ideal, I lift and I swim because it helps me feel strong and fit. It helps me keep migraines at bay.

But my body has scars. Things I’ve learned to love. 10 years ago this past winter, a few months before my wedding, my appendix ruptured and was missed for 3 weeks. I couldn’t eat, I was super sick and in and out of the hospital. I needed emergency surgery to figure out what was going on. I was really lucky. 3 years later this belly carried my son and birthed him at home with the help of 2 incredible midwives and my partner. 3 years after that, it carried my daughter and birthed her at home with a team of midwives, a doula, my partner and my parents. I hated this 12 inch scar that makes my belly a little wonky. The scar stretched wildly with each pregnancy and has this strange divet where the muscle was cut and sewn. But now, I’ve come to realize that it’s just testament to strength and resilience.

A lot of the mamas I photograph feel less than about their bodies. I hear time and again about bodies that aren’t photogenic or parts of bodies that make women in particular feel uncomfortable. And really, we live in a culture that encourages that. I want to photograph you in a way that celebrates you and your glorious self for all that it is and all that you’ve accomplished. The point is, your body, as it is right now, is amazing. Every glorious imperfection of it.

Your little one is going to look back on family photos and see every inch of love radiating from your eyes, your smile, the way your nose crinkled when you laughed, and not the parts of you that you felt self-conscious about. So, whether it’s taking a few more selfies, passing the phone to your friend or partner a bit more often, or scheduling a session, let’s all teach our littles some radical self-love by loving our bodies in their perfect imperfection.