Chloe’s journey to motherhood wasn’t easy. Her pregnancy was the result of seven years of trying — including five full years of IVF. She and her husband Matt went through multiple cycles, egg collections, transfers, heartbreak, and healing.
In mid-2023, they decided to try one last time. Fourteen eggs were retrieved. Five became viable embryos. The first transfer ended in early loss, just after Chloe’s birthday. But they tried again. And this time, the embryo stayed.
As her pregnancy progressed, she experienced the full spectrum of emotions that many IVF mums know well — joy mixed with anxiety, gratitude tinged with fear. Around 13 weeks, a prenatal screening test came back with a high-risk result for a chromosomal condition. A follow-up diagnostic test (CVS) was arranged. Those two days of waiting were long and full of quiet panic. But the result was clear: it had been a false positive. Her baby girl was healthy.
Chloe’s pregnancy continued with iron infusions, regular scans, and support from her circle of friends. And when she was safely into her third trimester, her girlfriends surprised her with a gift — a pregnancy photoshoot voucher for an underwater maternity session on the Sunshine Coast. They’d seen my photography on Instagram and knew she deserved something beautiful to honour this once-in-a-lifetime chapter.
We created a range of images in my Noosa pool studio, using flowing gowns and soft light to reflect the grace of her journey. But one moment stood out. Near the end of the session, Chloe floated in silence, wrapped in nothing but a sheer cloth. The fabric twisted gently as she drifted. And when we reviewed the photos together, she paused on a single frame and quietly said, “That’s the one.”
By the time she returned for her ordering appointment, her baby had arrived. Safe. Healthy. Loved.
Chloe told me she’d been thinking about that image the whole time. And now, it meant even more — her daughter, Aubrey, had been born with a true knot in her umbilical cord. The twist in the fabric felt like a symbolic echo of that story.
She chose the image as a large fine art canvas with a white frame, to hang over the bed. A daily reminder of what she’d carried — and who she’d become.
If you’re looking for a thoughtful gift for someone pregnant after IVF, or a way to honour your own journey, a maternity photoshoot gift card can be a meaningful way to mark that time. Especially when the road to pregnancy has been long, the chance to pause and be seen — just as you are — can stay with you for years to come. Find out more…
