Eleven years ago, Photographer Keri Vaca of Small Miracles Photography asked a close friend if she could take pictures of her during her pregnancy. "The shoot was amazing and I was hooked," she writes on her Web site, and she has specialized in pregnancy photography ever since. "I am so lucky to have the opportunity to work with women at this magical time in their lives," she continues. "It truly inspires me."

Vaca is just one of the hundreds of photographers around the country who specializes in taking portraits of pregnant women. The hardest part of the photographer's job is often convincing you, the mommy-to-be, to let her take your photos. You might love the idea, but feel too big, tired or out of shape when it comes time to pose for pictures. But if you can think beyond the bloating and stretch marks and imagine how magical it will be for your child to  see what "mommy looked like" when she was "in your tummy," portraits of you during your pregnancy will quickly become one of your most treasured possessions.

Pregnancy photographers generally do photo shoots around two to four weeks before your due date. Prices typically range from $300 to $500 for a two hour shoot of anywhere from 100 to 300 photos. And just like wedding photos, you choose the prints.

"Pregnant women have a beautiful radiance about them; they have that glow," says Vaca. Why not capture that radiance in something you can look back on for the rest of your life?

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