Pregnant Mom Does Gym Photo Shoot To Show Women Are 'Strong And Capable'

Lauren Ferris wants the world to know just how strong women can be. The Connecticut mom posed for a fitness photo shoot while pregnant with her second son, and the result was totally badass.

Photographer JoAnn Marrero took the pictures of Ferris at the gym. She first met the mom in 2014 and photographed the birth of her first son, Connor, who is now 2 years old. Her next baby boy is due Feb. 25.

Ferris told The Huffington Post she’s been “CrossFitting” for five years and did it throughout her first pregnancy. Fitness has become a big part of her family life as well. She and her husband, Garrett, sometimes bring Connor to the gym with them.

“He loves it and has his own little plastic toy weights that he brings to the gym but he doesn’t know they aren’t real,” Marrero said. The photographer added that Ferris attributes her short labor, easy pushing and quick postpartum recovery with Connor in part to her fitness.

She hopes to have a similar experience with her second son’s birth and has remained committed to exercising during her pregnancy. “My midwife encourages me to stay fit!” Ferris told HuffPost. “There hasn’t been a whole lot that I’ve had to modify. A few things ― like sit ups for example ― I can’t do, and I don’t do any very heavy lifts. But for the most part I can do the workouts that are prescribed.”

Marrero shared the photos on the Facebook page for her business, From Labor to Love. From there, they reached outlets like People and even CrossFit’s Facebook page.

“The response has been overwhelmingly supportive!” said the photographer. “Lots of ‘You Go Momma.’”

While Ferris has received a small amount of negative feedback, she said she uses it as an opportunity to educate people on health and fitness during pregnancy.

“Overall both Lauren and I want to inspire other mothers and mothers-to-be to say fit during pregnancy, to stay safe with your routine making modifications to fit the growing needs of your body,” Marrero explained.

Added Ferris, “I hope it will show that even though a woman is pregnant, she is still strong and very capable!”